“I’ve come to realize that if we were going to take just one step to make ourselves and our families healthier, probably the single best thing we could do is to simply drink more water. It’s as simple as that. Drink just one more glass of water a day and you can make a real difference for your health, for your energy and the way that you feel.”

This seems like common sense, but study after study has shown that millions of Americans simply aren’t drinking enough water. We get inundated nonstop with advertising and weekly sales on caffeinated beverages, which fuel the urge to boost our overworked and under-rested bodies with any sort of “energy” drink other than water.

So what’s so controversial about the first lady choosing to recommend drinking more water? Apparently, everything.

POLITICO contacted Dr. Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania, who told them, “There really isn’t data to support this. I think, unfortunately, frankly, they’re not basing this on really hard science. It’s not a very scientific approach they’ve taken… To make it a major public health effort, I think I would say it’s bizarre.”

No, Dr. Goldfarb, the only thing I find “bizarre” is your apparent urge to find something horribly wrong with Mrs. Obama telling Americans that water is good for them. Oh my God, recommending that people drink water? Oh my, how bizarre and unseemly! What was she thinking?!

Apparently some people would rather have millions of Honey Boo Boos running around hopped up on “Go Go Juice” all day.

I’m sorry, but I fail to see what’s so controversial about recommending that people drink water. I know from personal experience that dehydration can cause loss of energy and headaches — I pretty much drank nothing but Diet Mountain Dew and other sodas for several years, with only an occasional water mixed in. And I felt like garbage. Now I will admit that I do still drink soda, but ever since I’ve incorporated much more water into my daily routine, I’ve had more energy and far fewer headaches.

Everybody’s needs are different, but if there’s one thing we’ve pretty much established throughout humanity’s history, it’s that water is good for you. Seriously, have we not at least come to a general consensus on that?

This should not be controversial, folks.

Then we have the “top comments” in response to The Daily Caller’s report of the story, which showcase the fact that many Americans will hate anything that anybody with the last name “Obama” promotes — even something as non-controversial as water — simply because it’s an Obama promoting it. Have a look for yourself:

Of course, comment sections on political websites are a hotbed for trolls from all realms of the political spectrum, but sadly I think this is the type of nonsense many far right individuals truly believe. Their hatred for the Obamas is so deep-seated that there isn’t a single thing they could do or say to bring about any type of positive response from these people.

As somebody once said, “If Barack Obama came out in favor of oxygen, Republicans would suffocate themselves.” Apparently if Michelle comes out in favor of water, Republicans will go so far as to publicly state that they’re no longer going to drink it. It’s tainted with Obama praise!

However, the response from readers of The Daily Caller is nothing compared to the response from the faithful readers on teaparty.org. First of all, we have the headline expressing faux outrage that she would dare mention anything about water “on September 11th!” And then we have the disgusting comments from readers which resemble something out of an “Alex Jones meets the KKK” fantasy land of bigotry wrapped inside tinfoil hats. The water must be poisoned if she’s telling us to drink it!

All over a recommendation to drink more water.

Seriously.

Sadly, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that there’s simply no hope for some of these people. But I stand by my assertion that drinking water should not be controversial. It’s simply common sense, and more Americans should be encouraged to do it. Kudos to the first lady for choosing to put a spotlight on it, and shame on anybody who tries to paint it in a negative light. Of all the things to disagree on or argue over, keeping yourself hydrated and drinking water truly should not be one of them. Grow up.

Thomas Barr is a writer, editor and activist whose work has been featured on CNN and elsewhere. He works tirelessly online and off to further the Progressive movement and fight for causes close to his heart, such as Type 1 Diabetes research and education.
Be sure to check out his archives on Forward Progressives for more of his viewpoints.

Comments

LOL Well said. I have seen some REALLY stupid comments by some on the right, but this about takes the cake. For a bit I had to check to see if this was one of the sarcasm / Satire sites. Thank you Michelle Obama, lovely lady, and wise Mother. God Bless you and your Family

azportsider

I’m waiting for the President, or possibly the First Lady, to make a national public announcement on the dangers of eating yellow snow. It’d be great to watch the right-wing morons following the huskies around…

Theo

thank you-you just made me smile LOL

pj

Me too! lol

kellylwelch

Now, I’d love to see that one myself!!

Natashia Yalda CW

I watch too.

David A. Carlson

I dont know. Im pretty right-wing, and drinking water seems to make sense. Eating yellow snow seems to not make sense. I am waiting for liberals to come out with a new report saying that they have discovered that the sky is blue and that all conservative right wings are stupid for arguing about the sky being blue. Dont know why drinking water or eating yellow snow would be a political issue with some people, but hey, its a free country and you can be as ignorant and xenophobic and hateful as you want.

Hilliary

David. I don’t know who you are but for a second there it was like the dead came back to life. You have the same name as my late friend. The fact that you replied with a sensible comment only solidified this fact. Plus your avatar/profile picture is one he would have used.

David A. Carlson

Was said person born in the 50s? Because my dad had the same name as me.

David A. Carlson

Was said person born in the 50s? Because my dad had the same name as me.

Hilliary

David. I don’t know who you are but for a second there it was like the dead came back to life. You have the same name as my late friend. The fact that you replied with a sensible comment only solidified this fact. Plus your avatar/profile picture is one he would have used.

Bert Slater

Actually David, when stating the obvious, as you have observed, it takes a conservative to go totally off the rails. In this instance, the First Lady, in her official capacity as such has put forth a common sense challenge to America. It is a conservative moron who feels the need to challenge it. It was not a liberal who said rape kits “clean a woman out” or slaves were really unpaid interns. Want more GOP dog nuggets of truth? I can do this all day…..

James Purbin

Yes, please tell us about the Democrats that pushed for Jim Crow laws, or gave a free pass to Senator Byrd and Elizabeth Warren, or the uniquely unbiased generalization that anyone that does not consider oneself to a “liberal” is an idiot.

Charlie

Oh my god…did history not do enough to prove that there was a politically polar shift of what was considered “republican” or democrat” over the last hundred years?

James Purbin

That is referred to as a non-answer. Please do not run from history when it appears to be convenient.

jordanjay29

No, what you posted is referred to as the ‘straw man’ argument. The NSA has added you to their Obvious Trolls list.

Charlie

Non-answer? OK, then, you are right. The Democrats did push for Jim Crow laws, but it was a conservative branch of Democrats. I’ll see your “running from history when it appears to be convenient” (what does that even mean?) and raise you, “please do not ignore history when it doesn’t suit your needs.”

willietrohut

You, James, are the one running from history, as Charlie pointed out.

mhamm

Please read some history.

SirViP

You are referring to the Dixiecrats you ignorant jackass.

Scott Bland

It is an answer, just one that doesn’t fit with your skewed reality. If it were a Republican that had done something wrong years and years ago and admitted as such and was asking forgiveness, you’d be first in line saying they deserved another chance. Since you don’t like the D attached to the name, though, you act otherwise. You are a blind partisan, and partisans on both sides of the aisle are destroying this country as you play favorites and let your side get away with misdeeds that you scream bloody murder over if you think the other side does it.

The other word for that? Hypocrite.

Bert Slater

And we see them, the Repub hucksters on TV, They should be shunned and never heard from again. FYI no one ever died because someone got a blowjob.

James Purbin

Syphilis? Aids?

James Purbin

So, if I voted for Obama (which I did, as well as Bush #2 and Bill Clinton) I am conservative hypocrite? Got it, thank you for the clarification.

James Purbin

Also, I would be just as disgusted and hold the exact same expectations regardless of party affiliation or non-affiliation. I do not walk in step with any particular group as I am a person that makes my decisions based on what I believe is best.

You should try it sometime. it is rather liberating to not hate someone simply due to their specific religion, race, political party, disability, non-disability, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, good looks, wealth, poverty, etc…

repilot

You are just young, if not that very ignorant. Your first post got this going because you were attacking Democrats. I think you are a bad troll.

ismail jbaer

hw awesome your ideas are ?…..thumb up

Heretic50

No one is running from history! Honest Abe was a republican who took the country to a civil war to preserve a strong central government. Republicans today, who absorbed the Dixiecrates historically, now champion secession of Republican Governed States. Texas being an example. They scream about too much government and too much regulation of businesses who wo0uld poison the, ground water, oceans, inlets, clear cut forests…well I could go on and on.

Bert Slater

Actually Heretic, most Dems champion Republican States right to secede also. Good riddance to these leeches and moochers who whine whenever they see someone else other than themselves getting a little help.

repilot

You do not know history.

Femfelis

Charlie, some folks just stay fixated on labels. Simpler that way, I guess–no matter what may happen in the real world.

Portholus

Actually since the 1950’s. I remember seeing a Facebook post about what the Republicans were like in the 1950s and people were wishing they were that way now. I commented on the fact that if that is how the republicans were, how do you think that the democrats were? Has been entertaining.

David A. Carlson

Maybe there was a polar shift with some people, but most conservatives are still the way they were so long ago. The republican party was the one that sought freedom for slaves, womens rights, and was started to counter the democratic party that was against these things. So, in reality, the republican party has always been the progressive party. Gun laws were originally passed by democrats as a way to control the black population, now it is a way to control the entire population. Abortion was sought by democrats as a way to control the black population as well. Now it is seen as a way to control the population growth of all people. The democrats are not the progressive party, they are the oppressive party.

James Purbin

What a completely ignorant and biased rant.

James Purbin

Sorry David, this comment was placed in the incorrect location. My apologies to you.

Naxx1978

It fit perfectly so why apologize? You were actually making a honest, informed comment if only that one time.

Amy Butler

You need to go do some actual historical research. At the time of the Civil War, the Republican party was the Progressive party, the Democrats were the Conservatives. Let go of the labels, research the philosophy. Labels change. And you need to do a bit of research on abortion also because you really have no clue whatsoever what you are talking about. Women have been having abortions as long as women have been getting pregnant. It was not even illegal in all states until around 1900, and the first state outlawing it, Connecticut, was in 1821. It is a matter of control over women, not a matter of control over race.

David A. Carlson

True that women have been aborting babies for much longer. They used to use poisonous herbs and plants. I am not talking about abortion during the civil war. Research Planned Parenthood.

At the time of the independence of the United States, most of the then states followed English common law in not permitting abortion after quickening. James Wilson, a framer of the U.S. Constitution, explained as follows:
“ With consistency, beautiful and undeviating, human life, from its commencement to its close, is protected by the common law. In the contemplation of law, life begins when the infant is first able to stir in the womb. By the law, life is protected not only from immediate destruction, but from every degree of actual violence, and, in some cases, from every degree of danger.”
Speaking the truth does not require rudeness or a feeling that you are somehow better or more worthy because you know a little more.

Bert Slater

And they also supported the electric light over gas, right?

Daddycool67

Well … uhh …. no!
The republican party used to NOT suck.
Now it sucks! …. BADLY!

So, that seems to indicate a shift in the people who make up the party.

Unless you’d like to make a fool of yourself giving us an silly alternative reason for the demise of the GOP.
Or even sillier ….
Try to explain to us that today’s GOP is just as good as it’s ever been.

Here’s a pretty simple couple of questions to ask that pretty much explains it all:
When you see a politician running for office that claims to be from the Tea Party …. Are they registered as “Tea Party” candidate?

Are they registered as a “Democratic Party” candidate?

What party do these Tea Party wing nuts register as when they run for office?

David A. Carlson

There’s currently a shift in the republican party as we speak. I am not talking about the GOP, but the common people. The republican party is always changing. We adapt. The democratic party does not change, which is why it is stagnating even as we speak.

willisjohnsoniii

Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, started the income tax.

David A. Carlson

Maybe there was a polar shift with some people, but most conservatives are still the way they were so long ago. The republican party was the one that sought freedom for slaves, womens rights, and was started to counter the democratic party that was against these things. So, in reality, the republican party has always been the progressive party. Gun laws were originally passed by democrats as a way to control the black population, now it is a way to control the entire population. Abortion was sought by democrats as a way to control the black population as well. Now it is seen as a way to control the population growth of all people. The democrats are not the progressive party, they are the oppressive party.

Amy Butler

It is like anything else in History the conservatives don’t like–they either ignore it, change it, or claim that it is from a liberal media bias.

I believe that to be very true of the Democratic party as well. It isn’t a party line problem, which is the inherent problem with the Democratic party today as well as the Republican one. People bury their heads in the sand and see it as a party issue when in reality it is a human issue, which fact the vast array of liberals (certainly a misnomer if every there were one) seem not to notice.

Daddycool67

Rebublicans don’t have any kind of a future.
And they’re hanging on by a thread to the present.

So all they’ve got to offer America is the past.

Kat

Especially since the problem isn’t their message but the way the convey it. XD I died laughing!

I believe you may have a valid point there. They DO offer the past.. and the smart person looks at it and learns from it. As you drive your car, if you see only ahead of you and ignore what is behind, you run the risk of a serious accident.. the same holds true for those who cannot see the value of the past from their own stupidity and refuse to learn from it.

Tomorrows child

Jim Crow laws???….you must know that the Democrat and Republican roles got radically reversed back then…you must know that ?

David A. Carlson

The democrats tried to reverse those roles themselves, and have been trying ever since. It was a part of their propaganda in the 50s and 60s to demonize and vilify the republican party so that the people viewed them as antagonistic.

James Purbin

I know that liberals use history when convenient and dismiss it when it is not. Conservatives will do the same when necessary. It would be a wonderful world if people engaged in critical thought and were willing to stand alone at times when their opinion does not mesh with the social comfort zone. We are nothing more than bipedal wolf packs.

Before everyone goes bonkers at the mention of morality I mention it in the sense that what laws are applied to the masses are also equally applied to the politicians.

RayandFannie Esparza

Hey James a little history lesson..the Conservative Demos of that 1950’s and 1960’s turned out to be the GOP and their kids from the 1970’s all the way until today

James Purbin

When did Byrd become a Republican?

rmhopper3

Do you have anything that happened after 1964…..and show me one conservative under the age of 50 who has original idea that has not been proven a failure more than once

David A. Carlson

So, no child left behind was a failure? And let us not forget that Bush was the first president to try to push the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay act through (a predominantly democratic) congress, who vetoed it. It wasn’t until there was a democratic president that the, then, democratic congress allowed it to go through.

Rick Bagnall

Yes, “no child left behind” was and is a failure. It just adds another batch of standardized tests to the mass that students have to wade through, which doesn’t necessarily tell anybody anything. Furthermore, it was and is an unfunded mandate: if a school is failing to teach its students how to take the test (a far different process than teaching them the subject matter), it doesn’t get any funding to try to fix the problem(s), it just gets the stigma of “failing school” attached to it.

And Congress doesn’t get to veto anything. It can override presidential vetoes, but it can’t actually veto anything. Yes, the original version of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was written during the waning days of the Bush administration…by a pair of Democratic representatives, NOT by Bush. It passed the House easily, but the Republicans in the Senate had enough votes to block it from coming to a vote (the infamous “filibuster” maneuver that the current Senate has grown infamous for). The difference in 2009 was that enough Democratic senators were elected on Obama’s coattails to push the issue to a vote, where it succeeded handily.

Diggitt

It’s also known in many quarters as “No Teacher Left Standing”–although it could probably also be called “No Child Left Standing”. Actually, since it turns off so many kids top school completely, maybe it should be known as “No Child Left Reading”.

David A. Carlson

I thought it was defested the first time because the majority of democrats in the 110th congress (democrats had majority at the time) defeated it (maybe veto is the wrong word, I don’t know what the word would be then), but it appears that it was the republicans in congress. Although, Wikipedia doesn’t mention how many democrats voted for or against it. I had read somewhere before, thought I cant remember where so it doesn’t matter now, that the majority of democrats in the 110th congress had voted against it as well.

David A. Carlson

I thought it was defested the first time because the majority of democrats in the 110th congress (democrats had majority at the time) defeated it (maybe veto is the wrong word, I don’t know what the word would be then), but it appears that it was the republicans in congress. Although, Wikipedia doesn’t mention how many democrats voted for or against it. I had read somewhere before, thought I cant remember where so it doesn’t matter now, that the majority of democrats in the 110th congress had voted against it as well.

Brian Harris

Yes, as someone with special needs going through the school system when it passed, No Child Left Behind was a failure.

David A. Carlson

Actually, my own ideas are very original, but I am not a politician, so they will never come to light. Too bad too, because they would not fail. So, what has the democratic party done that was not a failure? And not something that the republicans tried to do first but had it shot down by democrats.

Graz65

Come on, that’s like you taking credit for every thing that Lebron James does simply because you share the same name. That’s ridiculous.

John

As far as Jim Crow laws, the republicans did a lot of things they would be embarrassed about today, but that was a couple of generations ago and as we all know the republicans are not Lincoln’s party any more.

David A. Carlson

True. Remember that the civil war was not started on the premise of freeing slaves. In fact, slavery in the north was still legal at the time. It was started by Lincoln trying to push through more federal control on large land owners in the south, because the government wanted a larger share of their profits. It was only halfway through the war that Lincoln pushed through the idea of freeing the slaves. He got the idea from Karl Marx as a way to make himself look more like a hero, and in contrast make the southern plantation owners look like the bad guys. Of course, we know slavery is wrong these days. But at the time, it was just a ploy to garner support for the war.

Brian Harris

Uh no, Dabid, it was started on the idea of freeing slaves. That is why the northern states freed their slaves around the time it started.

David A. Carlson

You are right, the slavery issue did come up early in the war, but the main point of secession was due to the government trying to place laws controlling the property of southerners. Now, this did include slaves, as they were considered property back then, but federal control of property could be taken to mean any property and they feared the government was going to come and take away their plantations and farmland or try to place federal restrictions on their land as well. Think about it today. The government can take away your property if they want. If you try to fight them legally, you wind up in prison. It is called eminent domain.

Bert Slater

Can we stay on this century please? Next you will bring up which party opposed the horseless carriage.

David A. Carlson

I oppose the horseless carriage. Or, at least, my horseless carriage, since it always needs something repaired on it.

repilot

You are a perfect example of that. Take a history or political science class or two and you will understand how political parties change their names and agendas as time goes by. The democratic party of the slavery era was the republican party of today. Your proof would be that Lincoln was a republican and the KKK was started by a democrat. Elizabeth Warren?

James Purbin

Ok, will Oregon State University political science classes count or is that too conservative for your taste? I recently read a book titled International Politics by Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis….do I have any credibility yet? A little, a smidge, a tad?

Do you have any “proof” than described as that is more of an anecdotal reference.

Maybe I can take one of your classes? Where do you teach?

James Purbin

I forgot to ask but what type of a democracy do we have in the U.S.compared to other democracies throughout the world? What is the definition of a democracy by political science standards?

David A. Carlson

Where is the solid evidence or proof to back up your statement that the parties switched roles? And I am not talking about how every democratic politician wants to make sure that the underprivileged (and by that, the democratic politicians mean blacks) is dependent on government aid such as food stamps or welfare. Because that would only prove that the democratic politicians want the underprivileged to be in a state of controllability.

deckbose

Yes, and while you’re at it, please bring up other 60-year-old points to make a case about today’s GOP.

candor

Those Dems who pushed for Jim Crow laws call themselves Republicans now, Labels are ignorant, what matters is what people do. Idiots identify themselves by hating irrationally and pounding on illogical dogma.

Portholus

Well Bert, actually a Rape kit is designed to get all of the physical evidence possible so it is supposed to “:clean the woman out” as you say but they also follow up with medication that is to ensure that there is minimal chance of pregnancy. As a moderate conservative I find all of this to be nuts. She stated a fact and jumping on it just because it is Michelle Obama saying it is stupid. I do not like the Obamas but she is telling the truth. We do need to drink more water.

Patty Ramirez

Excuse me, but as an ER Nurse, I can assure you that a Rape Kit does NOT “clean a woman out”. Samples are taken with cotton swabs (q-tips) from several areas, but very little is removed. That is why the emergency contraceptive is given. It also includes test for various STD’s. But “clean a woman out?” That is ridiculous.!!!

David A. Carlson

I agree with you. Whichever politician it was that said that is an idiot. Personally, it doesn’t matter which party they are, I tend not to trust what almost all politicians say unless I know it for myself. In this case, I already know that water is good for you.

Bert Slater

As long as they get re-elected, right?

samcnichol

Patty is right. I am a nurse also. If someone believes the “clean a woman out” comment, they need to go back to school. A rape kit is for small tissue samples and it does NOT clean anyone out. STD’s are always possible in a rape situation.

Bert Slater

Actually, it does not clean a woman out, The statement was made about preventing pregnancy after rape.

TNT`

A rape kit is designed to collect physical evidence for prosecution. It does NOT clean you our or prevent pregnancy from a rape. That assertion is bull. Research all you want, i have personal experience.

Heretic50

TNT; I am sorry you know this from personal experience. I hope, one day, there will be no need for rape kits!!

TNT`

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? 🙂

Bert Slater

Actually Heretic, that is the GOP agenda. Since legitimate rape never results in pregnancy, and even a rape baby is a gift from and intended by God. Any type of birth control even in the instance of incest is an affront to God. So as far as the GOP is concerned there is no need for rape kits or emergency birth control. So I guess they feel that women should just shut up and enjoy it?

memyselfandi

No, definitely not enjoy it. A good Christian woman would NEVER enjoy it.

Patty Ramirez

I’m a good Christian woman. I Would never enjoy rape, but I sure do enjoy good lovin’. Studies show a woman who is passionate in any aspect of her life, including her religion, is more likely to be a passionate lover.

Lea Marshall

that is exactly right…..no woman should ever resist a man in the giving of their gift

concerned citizen

oh, you are totally out of your mind. But then again you probably never been thru a rape or molestation. Alot of us women have been. And sorry to say, I would NOT be able to keep a baby if said baby was conceived thru being raped.

Lea said that is exactly right…..no woman should ever resist a man in the giving of their gift

um I believe you had better get over yourself. No means NO, it doesnt matter if you are married or not. Alot of ppl on here need to have their head examined.

Siobhan Elizabeth

I thought Lea Marshall was being sarcastic there, mocking the stance of all those Repubs/Tea Party candidates that said the most boneheaded stuff about rape. At least, I hope she was being sarcastic!

Bert Slater

some folks shred paper towel machines when the instructions say “pull down and tear up”.

Shane Randy Lee Burlech

That was a little something called “sarcasm”, CC. Lea was not advocating Rape. Lea was mocking the Christian Hard Right Wing, for their rather moronic comments and opinions on rape

I’ve been a moderate or mildly conservative person most of my life. I’ve also been pro gay marriage and pro abortion most of my life. Is there a reason why you believe that those who are slightly conservative as regards their political leanings must all, of necessity be one unit, must be lumped together –and isn’t that a bigoted statement? I have friends of every color and in fact am minority in my own right. The reason I drink water is because it’s healthy. the reason most people with whom I’ve spoken would tend to do the opposite is because as Mr Obama has proven himself to be less than forthright and honest, they are painting his wife with the same brush. Not perhaps politically correct, but people do judge you by the company that you keep. As regards shutting up and enjoying it, or any of the other bigoted trash that you spew, it would seem if there were a bigot or a prejudiced or closed minded individual in this party, that person–based on your sweeping generalizations on people would certainly be you. .In fact, tracking back over this post, those who seem to be more “conservative” seem to be the more open minded and more willing to listen, as well as the least hateful.

Bert Slater

Well Robbi, subtlety is not wasted on you! The fact remains that the entire conservative movement (like a bowel movement) sweeps all along the same path. Anyone trying to reason out an answer is immediately accused of infidelity. This is the problem with Congress, discussion might lead to Godless compromise. So even though you cling to the belief that you have individual beliefs that differ from the anointed you continue to vote for them, and allow their agenda to be hijacked just like the John Birch Society was. You know, the previous Tea Party, founded by the Koch Bros daddy. Like father like son, “We” are gonna take back ‘Merica.” LOL

LOL. Insofar as the beliefs which I cling to and for whom I voted, those are things you can’t know, and most assuredly can’t make a call on– coincidentally you are wrong on both counts. In much the same way that I may not surmise, based on your foolish party line rhetoric that you voted for our current administration or that you have no problem with insertions into our computer software that allow NSA to spy on the residents United States, yet the makers of those software all tell us that those things are true. The man for whom we all voted is not the man that we believed him to be. The Democratic party and the Republican party are no different at all . same guys, different ties.

Bert Slater

Actually Robbi there is a distinct difference, and individual beliefs are ignored on the right. There is no conscience, just greed backed by hate.

Interesting commentary Bert. Did you know that the average conservative family lives on far less than the average liberal family.. a fact brought to the light by a liberal think tank. Did you also know that the average conservative family gives thirty percent more to charity? The greed bit is something you get ground into you by a media who picks the cool person to hate this week. The smart people are getting together and finding a middle ground. The stupid ones are buying the stories and continuing to divide the nation.

Bert Slater

If you have not noticed, the wealth is getting concentrated in the hands of the most wealthy. Since ‘greed is good” is the mantra of the ubber conservatives like those from the Ayn Rand Institute and their associated organisations, and the elected GOP pols who give her credit for their views then their vision is becoming reality. As for giving to charity, those figures include religious giving including tithes, like the Mormon 10%, not really charity. As for dividing the country, I’m not reciting the wingnut talking points, you are. Currently the right wants to be able to “give” to any charity they wish, and deduct 100% from their taxes owed. See their taxes owed are not Their taxes, but our taxes. So next time you wish to bring up “facts” start your own thread or stay on topic. FYI most of your “points” coming from Faux is coming from a source no longer classified by the FCC as a news organisation, but satire.

quark

Concern Troll fail!

Real pro choice people do not call themselves “pro abortion” because they are not.

LOLOL. because I used the wrong nomenclature for what I PERSONALLY believe you can question my belief of it. Interesting. PRO abortion IS what I am.. just not pro ALL abortion. As a nurse EMT. I have a better handle on what ALL of it actually IS.It appears to me that like others of your ilk, you’re too lost in the verbiage to consider the facts. You’d have made a hell of a Republican.

Siobhan Elizabeth

I am a pretty liberal person, but abortion has always been an issue for me. I get the pro-choice side of the argument, especially in terms of rape, incest, life of the mother, but even though I have ethical issues with abortion, I try to look at it from a purely scientific point of view, and I can’t decide WHEN an unborn baby is “undeveloped” enough to make abortion OK and when a fetus is not longer a fetus but a human baby. First month is obvious, it gets more complicated as the months move on, and as medical science gets better at keeping premature babies alive. So I don’t necessarily want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, but I do want to see the instances of abortion go down. But pro-life people tend to also say those stupid things about rape and do nothing to prevent rape or have stricter punishments for it, or programs to prevent convicted rapists from reoffending after serving jail time, tend to oppose emergency contraception (if not all birth control) and comprehensive sexual education in schools — these are all things would significantly reduce the “need” for abortion, but they oppose it. I was raised by a very pro-life mother, and I probably would never have questioned that position, if it had not been for the rediculous positions pro-life folks, politicians and others, take on all these other issues.

HPG

You touched on the point- Even most pro-choicers want the number of abortions go down. No one is encouraging women to abort their babies. I’m sure even the doctors that perform them and make money off of them would rather use that time doing other procedures over abortions. No one is pro-abortion like that. Being pro-choice (at least to me) is about acknowledging that there are, sadly, times when ending the pregnancy is the best choice. Pro choice people vary greatly in their opinions about where to draw the line over what level of importance you need that reason to be.

me

I guess, then, you should be raped and see how it feels. Maybe your views will change a bit.

Bert Slater

they are not my views. The word “they” is not I or me.

Bert Slater

Actually Heretic, that is the GOP agenda. Since legitimate rape never results in pregnancy, and even a rape baby is a gift from and intended by God. Any type of birth control even in the instance of incest is an affront to God. So as far as the GOP is concerned there is no need for rape kits or emergency birth control. So I guess they feel that women should just shut up and enjoy it?

me

It’s called personal protection (hand gun, tazer, pepper spray….. a shank?) But those are illegal

Portholus

I am sorry for what you have gone through but to answer all of this, no politician stated this fact, it was told to me during a criminal justice course I was taking while I was in Guam serving in the Air Force back in the early 1990s by the instructor that was a Defense Attorney on the island so as I have never been through the incident I can not attest to the actions taken in the emergency room. I was informed that this was exactly what happened as it insured that they received all the DNA possible of the assault and ensured that the possibility of a pregnancy was almost Nil.

lindylou

You instructor was full of shit. Someone needs to clean him out.

bainic

They have no conceptual reference what goes on with female body parts. Cleaning out being a ridiculous notion in and of itself impossible. Not to mention it really wouldn’t make one damned bit of difference in reference to microscopic sperm even if possible. You can’t hose out someone’s internal organs with bleach or Mr Clean.

Rob Gholston

Hello Portholus, I really hope that this wont offend you. But, why you and others don’t like President Obama? I just don’t understand why some people don’t like him. Okay maybe it’s the politics that some don’t like about him. But, to not like him as a person? A man? When all he has tried to do is help people, help poor people, sick people and people who are struggling. As a child I was a little afraid of republicans because of their fierce behavior towards African Americans, poor people and the sick. To me it seems like any thng that is about helping people they are against it. The wealthy republicans don’t want to pay a little more on their taxes, right? But, this country was founded on Christian Vales? I have never seen or heard any one speak so badly about President Bush after Hurricane Katrina before, during or after 9-11. Oh my God!!! I forgot about Iraq??? If President Obama had have done not all, but one of those atrocities he would have been impeached and probably an assassinated attemp n the mans life. I am so tired of people saying this country was founded on True Christian Values like the bible, “WRONG, WRONG & WRONG. How it started is how it is now. It’s just done a little neater, not as messy but then again I don’t know. I was in L.A. a few weeks ago and homelessness was every where. i felt compelled to give. It didn’t dawn on me that the money I was giving was the hard earned money I saved up for my trip. I didn’t preach Jesus at them, I didn’t look at their skin color, their religious beliefs, political views, if the person was gay or straight or even if he was a person that was here illegally. I seen a child of God sitting on that filthy hot ground. I gave and I kept giving. By this shall all men know that we are disciples, if we have love one to another. My friend I apologize for being so long winded. Thank you for lending your time to read this message and hopefully respond. God bless. My email is, [email protected]

Rob

Portholus

Let me see if I can explain it. I do not trust the man and have a dislike for him as he has shown next to no respect for America and for the military and I have the distinct honor of being both an American and a former blue suiter (Air Force member). Add to this that he has claimed that he planned on having the most transparent administration ever yet there is absolutely nothing transparent about anything he has done or even about the man himself. Bush was blasted in the media about all three of the incidents you mentioned (Katrina, 9-11, and Iraq) by the democrats yet they have remained strangely silent about Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the IRS, the NSA, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and any other activity of Mr. Obama over his past 5 years. This country went from being 8 Trillion in debt to now almost 17 trillion due to Mr. Obama and the democratic party yet they remain silent on this fact. This country was founded on the belief that a person should be able to worship god in his own way and not under the tenants of the Roman Catholic church as was being pushed in England and as such, yes, this country was founded on God.

What I am wondering is why you think that Bush should have been impeached for a Natural Disaster, the greatest terrorist attack on US Soil, or a war where a country and ally was about to be overrun? Of the three only Iraq comes close to an impeachable offense and we went there over WMDs which now turn out to be in Syria like it was reported. Obama had direct knowledge of the 4 incidents I listed above (Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the IRS scandal and the NSA fiasco) and yet no one has called him out on any of it. Add to this the facts that it took 3 years to produce a document that should have been produced when he ran for office (and that document was proven to be a fraud in 12 hours), the fact that he is linked to 4 social security numbers (his current one is from Conn., a state he has never lived in), and every document that could show he is not a US citizen is conveniently sealed so NO ONE can see them (remember that this guy is the one that campaigned on transparency) and anyone should be concerned about this man.

In the end I do not hate this man as hate is the second strongest emotion in existence and though he may be deserving of it, I do not give it to him. I agree that we have too many poor and starving in this country and we do need to look at doing something to combat that…how about taking all the money we send to countries that hate us and use it to help our own? How about we get rid of the Affordable Healthcare Act that is costing us a fortune (yet we have been repeatedly told it will cost us nothing) and get an plan in place that will do the good that we need and cut down of the cost we don’t.
I am a moderate conservative. I believe that the top 1% have exploited the country too much and that needs to be ended as they have done severe damage to this country for the purpose of their own greed. At the same time I believe it is time to get those on welfare that treat it as a way of life off the system and working as it is not right to allow them to continue to be a drain on resources and provide no real benefit.

You_Never_Know

Such nonsensical reasons to ‘dislike’ the President; all based on lies and misconceptions…….

Interesting. Wherein are those things misconceptions. Please enlighten us all so that we may come to know the fallacies of the stories, the truth as you see it, no doubt based on your vast research using objective news sources.

You_Never_Know

Lighten up will ya. You Almost got entangled in your language…..

Lies and misconceptions – try sources other than fox and other right-wing outlets… Listen to what those who don’t have their minds closed up…. Vast research based on objective sources – you are kidding… Nothing is Objective for everyone. You consider whatever you read/hear as objective (fox, breibart, hannity…).

For me – it would be listening to various radio reports (from NPR, BBC, CBC..); watching such programs as Newshour, Charlie Rose, BBC, European Journal…

As well as reading NYT and the New Yorker.Checking out various online sites. And it’s usually by comparing information from all those multiple, literate, relatively Objective sources that I can be sure that I get the facts right.

And then – I base my opinion on those facts… Always re-evaluating my approaches, and never hesitating to make adjustments, or even change my opinion in the opposite direction.

By your ‘definition’ of a biased ignorant closed-minded person – those would all be classified as Liberal.

Too bad for you, Robbie. BTW – you can drop your ‘sarcasm’ – you don’t seem to be good at it; and besides – I can do it much better than you anyway.

Beth Vest

Actually, you haven’t refuted any of the incidents in question and all the journalistic sources you mention are liberal. So, come on with the facts that tell us that Benghazi was not a cover up, that fast and furious was okay, and especially that Obama mouthed off about a red line and then didn’t follow through and had is dumb self saved by Putin. He took oppressive things Bush put in place and doubled down on them, including spying on Americans. So, please, as Robbi said, enlighten us with some facts that refute all this. Maybe Charlie Rose or the NYT can help.

marmaduke040

You may be right… facts do seem to have a liberal bias.

Halfpeeledbanana

Research Operation Patriot.

Siobhan Elizabeth

People who despise Obama want us to think it’s all based on his policies and decisions, but it’s clearly not. It’s personal. For many, it’s probably just racism. For others, it’s just being a sore loser because Repubs lost the White House again (the same sore-loser attitude that prompted some Repubs to look for any excuse to impeach Clinton, even if it meant putting him under oath for something that wasn’t a crime, and then when he lied, charge him with obstruction of justice), but if you aren’t a racist, or sore-loser, I can’t see how there can be a dislike of the man Obama is. Frankly, I doubt there is any more than these two reasons to personally hate Obama, it’s either racism, or cry-baby, sore-loser Repubs who would rather just spend all their time and energy on making Obama appear to be a failure rather than work to fix what’s wrong in the Repub party so that they can find a presidential candidate that will be serious about the job and appeal to people regardless of their political affiliation.

theabby

Well said. You speak the truth, but those people will never admit they hate him based on the two reasons you mentioned . Hell, they don’t even really know why they hate him, but it’s what Fox news told them to do, so they do it. No questions asked, low information followers of Hannity and the gang. Tea Party losers.

Larry

well said

Bert Slater

Most wingnuts think Obama should only travel in the back of Greyhound One.

langranny

If you look back through history, any time there was a Democratic President, the Republicans did their best to destroy him. Fortunately Democratic administrations are smart enough to clean up the previous Republican administration’s mess even with the obstructionism, lies and hate.

Siobhan Elizabeth

Well, that is true of recent history, but I don’t know that I’d say that’s true of all of US History, especially given the role-reversal of the Democrat and Republican parties after the Civil War and Reconstruction. As much as I respect Jimmy Carter, he wasn’t a good president, no Repub did anything to destroy him (although, he’s probably the best former Pres. we’ve ever had.) But Repubs have been sore losers ever since George H. W. Bush failed to win re-election,and the Repub party has allowed itself to be infiltrated by super right wing people with crazy opinions or simply personal agendas, and no real concern for the US or her citizens. But I think the moderate Repubs are starting to get sick of the domination by these ultra right wingers, and hopefully, for the good of this country, the Repubs will go back towards being a party of moderate, level headed conservatives. Even though I am liberal, I think it’s good for our democracy to have a conservative party. But not as extremist as the TeaPublicans have made our right wing party

bainic

That is what is frightening is how beautifully and well spoken he is relaying a lot of lies and half truths that have been spun in with few facts. It just proves how mainstream media controls the information flow into the mind of American Citizens. They can basically spin anything they want and create enough “facts” to make is seem semi believable. The government and media tell us what to think and believe. I am certain that your intentions as a soldier were to serve your country and do your duty. Unfortunately HE and CHENY pulled off a pre planned fraud on the citizens of Iraq. They basically committed premeditated mass murder.

Siobhan Elizabeth

Dems have not remained silent on this issue. Given what you believe, I doubt you ever watch a TV show or news channel, or pick up a newspaper, or go to a website, where you would encounter what Dems and other liberals have to say about anything. So how do you know they’ve said nothing on all those issues. The fact that you would include “the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico” when environmental protection is one of the key issues Dems take on (and trust me, Obama’s taking a lot of heat on energy & environ issues) shows you don’t know what Dems are saying about anything.

Larry

I bet you are a great fan of of Fox News. If you would take a little time and research all of these “offenses” by Obama, you will see they are BS and all the birther and Soc.Sec crap are just that Crap. Easily debunked by any and all fact checkers

Bert Slater

You need to see real news, not Faux and quit blaming Obama for actions before he took office.

BackSeatJesus

Portholus – I’d like to clarify a few of the points that you hate President Obama for.

1. Fast and Furious – while this particular program was indeed started in 2009, several months into Obamas presidency, there were plenty of other very similarly run programs where guns were “walked” across the border in order to track them. It’s not a new tactic and plenty of this went on in the Bush administration.

2. IRS scandal – this “scandal” that was reportedly aimed at “tea party” and conservative groups turns out to be a lot of bunk because there were plenty of liberal and OWS type groups that were also investigated. It was pretty fairly split between cons and libs.

3. Benghazi – IMO, this is also very trumped up. I do not try to minimize the loss of American lives in this debacle, but I do remember that dozens of embassy workers were killed in embassy attacks during the Bush administration.

4. NSA and their spying on Americans, I agree this is awful, just was it was awful under the Bush administration where it was initiated after 9/11.

Now, just because the NSA spying and gun walking took place under Bush does not relieve Obama of responsibility, but it does relieve him of taking crap about it from the right, as if it wasn’t happening before. It was, just FOX didn’t report on it so the right didn’t care.

The part in your discussion before where you mention that Obama had direct knowledge of the situations before hand…..really? he knew that an underwater oil rig was going to blow (no, but relaxed regulations that republicans want so badly surely didn’t help)? You think the president of the US is made aware and updated on IRS decisions for who they investigate? You think he knew in advance that Benghazi was going to result in the deaths of 4 Americans and gun walking to Mexico? He did probably know about all the spying, but as I said, Bush spied too, and so would Romney had he been elected.

As far as what Bush knew about the points you list above. There were internal memos that prove that the administration was aware that Al Qaeda planned an attack with airplanes, Bush did nothing. The weather service reported that Katrina was coming and when it hit, Bush did nothing. And the war in Iraq was started because Saddam Hussein tried to “kill my daddy” not to mention that Cheney was a main player in Halliburton (now Xe) and Cheney and his cronies profited like mad men off that war.

While I can appreciate that the things that happened that make you not trust Obama did indeed happen, they were either already happening from previous administrations or they were non-issues such as the IRS “scandal”.

Regarding Obama’s lack of transparency, I too and very disappointed in this. He promised transparency and didn’t come thru, instead, sticking with what was done during the previous administration. I also agree with your statement that we need to stop giving so much to other countries. Israel and Egypt don’t need our money nor do they deserve it.

As far as ACA, I agree here, too. That law should have never been passed. Only a single payer system will work and dems dropped the ball big time because they wanted to appease the insurance lobby.

Lastly, the welfare for the 1% versus welfare for the poor. I do agree that something should be done to get keep those who are just living off welfare to get off their butts and work. But, how about if we just worry about giving handouts to the super wealthy and stopping trickle down, which has only resulted in transferring wealth to the already rich, and then see where the rest of American’s stand as far as getting/needing handouts. It’s easy to stand in line at a grocery store and watch a person who doesn’t “look” poor using a food stamp card, not so easy though to see the corporate welfare and subsidy that is rampant in our country, not to mention people like Warren Buffet and Mitt Romney or hedge fund managers, paying a lesser percentage in taxes than the majority of middle Americans. That is the true travesty here, that letting your money make you money in the market caps your taxes at a max of 15% yet actually working for your money is taxed at a much higher rate. Time for sweat to be as valuable as your money manager.

The slaves were really unpaid interns thing was made up by a satire site. I hadn’t heard it so I had to look it up and that’s what I found.

Fran

And you believe that? I’ve never heard of an intern getting beat, hung, starved or much worse. Have you? Come on now!

thomasbone63

Are you stupid or just a plain asshole?

David A. Carlson

The conservatives who said those stupid things are idiots, though. If someone says or does something stupid, I will call them on it, regardless of their political affiliation.

Rob Gholston

Very Good Point…. Even the remarks made about the republicans making those stupid arguments and remarks about Mrs. Obama encouraging Americans to drink more water has provoked the republican supporters to lash out at the ones who are supporting her….. Who knew???

l

David,
I find it interesting you fell for the narrative the liberal press here is trying to set. You fell for it hook, line and sinker. The narrative is that anything the Obama’s do will be opposed by conservatives. Did you notice that Politico ran around here finding someone to disagree with Michelle?? In other words, people had really no opinion on this issue until Politico baited the hook and threw it out there.. and found someone to bite. What is so telling about you and who you are, is your response…… “it is a conservative moron who feels the need to challenge it.” Nowhere did it state the political leanings of the Dr., who politico found by turning over every rock they could, who made the statement. You just assumed he is a conservative, because of the way Politico wanted you too. Stay awake and stop falling for the ploy.

David A. Carlson

You are right.

Louis3

The narrative of those running things is to get the press to set out points of differences between the left/right-Muslim/Christian/democrat/republican so that we would argue among ourselves. Did you notice that the republicans voters were against bombing Syria by about 100 to 1. So were the democrats voters. But Obama and the leaders of the military industrial complex and other idiot warmongers had different motives other than what the American people wanted. They are baiting the people to have arguments with each other so they can continue their agenda. Politicians are all the same. They are bought out by the elite and do their bidding. Obama is not a wit different. Wake up America. There are plenty of other good Americans bidding for the office of the presidency. I don’t care who they are, IE. right or left, because when they don’t have the bundles and bundles of money flowing in their coffers by the elite, special interest, bankers, and the powerful, then they have no other interest to be beholden to…… except for the American people and the betterment of our country. I think we all need to wake up a little.

kilcracker369

The Right Wing is broken and Diseased with Fascism and Tyrannical Religious Fever!

Bert Slater

possibly syphilis too…

David A. Carlson

Actually, the left wing is diseased with fascism and tyranny. As well as oppression. As for religious fever, yes, we have religion. The left is fevered with antireligious and antitheist (or, more precisely, anti-Christian) dogma and doctrine. We right wingers are fine with people of other religions, or with atheists (true atheists, not antitheists, know the difference).

Bert Slater

Fine with other religions? Burned any Korans lately?

David A. Carlson

Nope. And I don’t plan to. How about Muslms? Ask them if they’ve killed any Christians for not being Muslim lately.

Amy Butler

Nope. fas·cism
ˈfaSHˌizəm/
noun
1.
an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
synonyms:authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, autocracy;More

David A. Carlson

What is the source of your definition?

Aaron

The sad thing is, it just seems like they have no identity of their own. Whenever the left does something, they do the opposite. Rather than creating their own identity, they have just become the anti-left.

Stephanie

Same goes for the anti-right. We all need to think for ourselves.

David A. Carlson

Not true. This statement proves that you left have no identity of your own. You follow what every other left winger says, and any time a right winger does something, you have to say or do the opposite. We created our own identity, you inherited yours. Your party is truly the anti right party. Of course, since I try to point this out to you, you will only try to say that this proves everything you say as I am trying to contradict you. But you leave me no choice but to correct you in defense of your attacks using knowledge you don’t have any understanding of as your ammunition.

Brian Harris

Your statement proves your a reactionary who isn’t as smart as he thinks he is David. The right wing is just as reactionary as the left wing, and if you need proof, look at our current congress or the statement above. further more, by jumping on this comment and writing that who thing, you make your self look like the anti-left reactionary, and not vice versa. And as for the last part of your statement, where are those facts you are talking about?

David A. Carlson

Not true. This statement proves that you left have no identity of your own. You follow what every other left winger says, and any time a right winger does something, you have to say or do the opposite. We created our own identity, you inherited yours. Your party is truly the anti right party. Of course, since I try to point this out to you, you will only try to say that this proves everything you say as I am trying to contradict you. But you leave me no choice but to correct you in defense of your attacks using knowledge you don’t have any understanding of as your ammunition.

Guidosmom

Many of us don’t think a woman’s uterus is a political issue.

Paul Pearson

Hey, the sky ISN’T blue, it’s mainly clear the blue is because of light filtered by the sun.

Dave

Sorry to disagree Paul but I just checked and the sky is blue, now that may be by light filtered by the sun but none the less the sky is blue. I am quite sure that drinking more water is a good idea as well.

wrath_of_Con

Actually, drinking more water is not a good idea. Replacing your surgary soft drink with water is, but that is not what she is saying. It is dangerous, intellectually and to your health, to say drinking more water is good for your health. Remember that woman who died on the Howard Stern Show after drinking too much water.

MjrMissConduct

OMG, you’re an idiot. The woman who died on Stern drank it all at once, not over the course of a day.

wrath_of_Con

And you are a bully.

MjrMissConduct

Sorry, pointing out the obvious doesn’t make me a bully just because it hurt your feelings.

Karimonster

The condition is called hyponatremia and in order to bring it about, you have to drink between 1-2 gallons of water in around 20 minutes. Please note, this is physical limit of what your stomach can contain and it is more likely you’ll vomit it out than actually contract hyponatremia.

Debi Biderman

Drinking more water is a great idea…drinking water till you drown is not. If you are not intelligent enough to figure out the difference it may be necessary to find a friend to put you out of our misery.

David A. Carlson

True. You can die from overhydration.

David A. Carlson

True. You can die from overhydration.

Daddycool67

When your ignorance, xenophobia, and hate are the only tools you have to get you elected to a place where you are employing all 3 of them to discriminate and RUIN our country … Sorry, you no longer have the right!

It’s kind of like the whole first amendment free speech deal.
No you DON’T have the right to say whatever you want, whenever you want. There are limits.

And why do we impose limits?
Because people are too stupid to limit themselves.
For instance … people who have no idea that some limits are necessary, will NEVER limit themselves. So those of us who are sane must impose the limits for you.

That could be avoided if the right could shed their faux outrage at everything the President and his wife say. “Yes, the sky is blue and water is healthy.” See how easy?

MERKJONES

My question is where was the outrage when Nancy Reagan said: “Say no to drugs.” Did Democrats do the complete opposite out of spite? The First Lady is a spokesperson. They can’t change policy. If she suggested I go out and shake people’s hands, I wouldn’t because I don’t feel like doing it. Would I chastise her for a suggestion such as that? No. If she told me to go out and kill people or blow coke, yes, I’d get mad at her.

Drinking water though? We drink far less water than we used to. And we need it to survive. People mad at her are just anti-anything with Obama attached to it. It’s hilarious if you ask me.

Jen

How did we go from talking about people going stupid over the first lady recommending drinking more water to rape kits? This is exactly what’s wrong with this country. We’re all a big pile of fail.

onewhoknows

RIP Frank Zappa!

Rob Gholston

@ azportsider – That was FUN NY!!!

12obama12

Some people just need a smack with a lead-filled snow shoe, am I right?

frenchcheesemuseum

Nanook- na no no, don’t be a naughty eskimo.

duif73

Stop poisoning the population with Fluoride… proven to drop IQ by up to 5 points.. increased asthma, autism and adhd… then perhaps water will be enjoyed… research how poisonous Fluoride is and force the government to remove it from tap water…. in the East they make Sarin gas from Sodium Fluoride and in the west they pour it into the drinking water ???? time to wake up and ask why this poison fertilizer & mining byproduct is added to water… formerly a hazardous waste..

Steven Lee Ellis

Originally stated as a Communist conspiracy theory during the Red Scare in the US.
The communist conspiracy argument declined in influence by the mid-1960s, becoming associated in the public mind with irrational fear and paranoia. It was portrayed in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, in which the character General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear war in the hope of thwarting a communist plot to “sap and impurify” the “precious bodily fluids” of the American people with fluoridated water.
Hollywood much?

duif73

Think much… typical reaction of conspiracy theory… research. In fact, tired of being polite to fucking idiots like you…so guess what drink it and fuck off.

MadPommie

You have obviously been drinking the water a lot as your IQ has dropped several points from reading this article. Without Fluoridated water you would have no teeth left by now. The fact that sarin gas is made with NaF in the process has nothing whatsoever to do with a proper argument against fluoridated water, just your scaremonger use of Sarin Gas as it was recently used in Syria. Now, invalid arguments aside, the fact that BO has an IQ twice that of the previous incumbent, that his wife is thinking of the health of idiots like you, and the fiasco of the reps trying to get someone valid to stand against BO last time… well, if I was amurrican, I’d vote dem anyway.

Angel M. Ethell

Nope, I support the Obamas as much has I can, but I agree, get the poison out of our water supply. Did you know that toothpaste made for children under two is made without fluoride because its actually dangerous for them to consume? Did you also know that if a woman chooses to formula feed her children the special water she has to buy is DE-fluoridated? Fluoride is a poison and does lead to lower IQ and is NOT actually the reason you have teeth. This is proof by all the people that have teeth in countries where they don’t let politicians vote to protect industries that poison the people. Which is the only main reason I disagree with Obama’s policies. The Monsanto protection. It makes me sick. Literally. In the last 6 years that GMO’s have been widely used cases of food allergies went up over 200%. There ARE people profiting off the ill of others. Its just a fact. Read up on Fluoride and you will come to the same conclusions.

Steve Skinner

The Monsanto protection is disgusting, in that it’s yet one more piece of corporate welfare. But GMO’s have not been conclusively shown to cause any ill health effects, and people are making much more of gene splicing than what it really is. It doesn’t involve chemicals of any kind. The reason food allergies have gone up so much is because of the way we over-pamper our children, and excessive breast-feeding is specifically to blame. Fluoride does protect your teeth, there is decades of dental research to prove this. Problems that have arisen from fluoridation of water have resulted either from improper fluoridation or the addition of fluoride to water that already has fluoride from a natural source. The reason why fluoridated water is not used in baby formula is because babies’ bodies cannot properly process it. I want to believe in all of the scare as much as others apparently do believe it, but I will only trust impartial sources.

MaryLF

I believe the “Monsanto Protection Act” is really a renewal of a provision that has been there all along. It is to protect farmers big and small from frivolous lawsuits that can cripple or bankrupt them. If a rival could bring a lawsuit against a farmer for using, say, a certain process or fertilizer, and that farmer would have to stop using that process until the suit was decided, that could result in bankruptcy before the lawsuit was even tried. So competitors could file these suits just in order to damage a competitors business. This act just says that they can continue to use the process until the outcome of the lawsuit. It wasn’t new, and it wasn’t aimed directly at Monsanto.

MaryLF

Honey is not recommended for children under 1. That doesn’t make it poisonous for the rest of us.

Rick Bagnall

What on Earth are you talking about? We fed our son formula, and NOBODY suggested that we use distilled water to mix it. Not the pediatrician, not the lactation consultant…NOBODY.

And the reason that they make non-fluoridated baby toothpaste is that babies and toddlers are much too prone to swallow the stuff instead of spitting it out like they’re supposed to.

Bottom line: “the dose makes the poison.” One of the nastiest types of food poisoning (botulin) is used as an anti-spasmodic and wrinkle-buster (Botox). A rather deadly plant (foxglove) provides a heart medicine (digitalis). Yes, fluoride can be toxic. But given the amount they put in drinking water, you’d have to drink about a bathtub full of water every day to start approaching a lethal dose, and if you’re drinking THAT much water, your kidneys will give out long before the fluoride actually poisons you.

Abundance 4 All

what about the SF in your food? Beverages? that you cook with? think about the real dosage everyone is getting on a daily basis. Toothpaste & drinking water is the least of it….just saying.

Rick Bagnall

Assuming that by “SF” you mean sodium fluoride–which is properly abbreviated “NaF”–you’re partially correct in that it makes its way into things other than toothpaste and drinking water. But the concentrations in those other things are mostly derived from the concentration in the water. So unless you’re *consuming* a bathtub full of food and/or liquid every day, you’re still all right. And if you are consuming that much…again, you’ve got other problems to worry about than fluoride poisoning.

Yes, there are studies that have suggested that as little as 0.1mg fluoride per kg body weight can cause *minor* symptoms such as headaches and gastrointestinal distress…and granted that some people are more sensitive to the stuff than others. For a more or less typical adult (70 kg), that works out to 7 mg at one dose for minor symptoms. Which is 7-14 LITERS of fluoridated water (that’s a bit under 2 gallons to a bit over 3 1/2 gallons, by the way. For minor symptoms that you may or may not get.) For the “take this person to the hospital” dose (5 mg/kg), you need to bump that up to 350 mg, which is 350-700 LITERS of fluoridated water (quite a bit more than enough to fill a typical 42 gallon bathtub, now that I look at it). Or a bit over two tubes of toothpaste, I suppose…

The only people in the US who regularly work with fluoride in concentrated enough doses to be worrisome are industrial chemists, who have plenty of protective equipment to make sure they don’t get dosed.

Abundance 4 All

Thank you Rick for a reasonable and detailed reply.

Given that NaF, (just shortened Sodium Fluoride to SF for convenience) is in most of the food (if not all) we consume on a daily basis, what amount do you suppose is taken in when Sodium Fluoride is consumed from cradle to grave? In fact, NaF levels are passed on by the mother to their baby as was documented in a British study conducted in 2010.

People being given NO CHOICE when ingesting a KNOWN poison is unacceptable regardless of amount. Poison remains a poison does it not?

In January of this year, The Atlantic published a World Health Ranking Report. Of the top 17 riches nations the USA came in dead last. DEAD LAST!!

Rick Bagnall

“Poison remains a poison does it not?” Well…define your terms. As I pointed out above, the same stuff that makes people die if they eat a batch of badly preserved green beans (botulin) can be used as an anti-spasmodic (Botox). The same medicine that some people take to regulate their heartbeat (digitalis) can cause arrhythmia and even cardiac arrest if taken in too high a dose or by a healthy person. And as other people have pointed out, even distilled water–water which is absolutely vital to life as we know it–can cause problems (e.g. hyponatremia) if taken too quickly and in too much quantity. That’s why any toxicologist or chemist in the country is likely to paraphrase Paracelsus and say “the dose makes the poison.”

I’ve lived with fluoridated drinking water all my life. I don’t have brittle bones. Quite the contrary, as the only bone I’ve ever broken was the result of 40 pounds of cast iron falling on one knuckle…and it was a hairline fracture. I don’t have ADD or ADHD. My IQ hasn’t been tested lately, but it’s well above average (I got an 800/800/4.5 on my GRE–without studying for it–just to give you a point of reference).

Now it’s entirely possible that I’m more tolerant of fluoride than most people. But I submit that it’s also entirely possible that the standard (using the term loosely) water fluoridation levels in the US are safe for 95+% of the population and that the folks who are unusually susceptible should find out and plan their lives accordingly. Some people are unusually sensitive to vaccinations. Should the government quit mandating vaccinations, or should the sensitive adjust their vaccination schedules?

Bruce Wayne Schewe

The dangers of flouridated water are quite real. Also, ironically, flouride is actually bad for your teeth. All it takes is a little research and you too can become enlightened about not only flouride, but many other lies and false information fed to the very gullible citizens of our great nation by our shall we say, less than honest and forthcoming government.

Brian Harris

And this research is totally not just looking at sites that agree with you, right? And you totally looked to make sure none of the claims you’re making were debunked, right?

Abundance 4 All

MadPommie, please do the research on tooth decay in countries that do not Fluoridate their water v.s the USA that does. You will find there is no difference, as a matter of fact, what you will find is the amount of damage excess Sodium Fluoridated, remember it is in the water supply used to prepare our foods and given to the animals we eat. This excess SF has caused an entire generation of children’s teeth to be weak, brittle and spotted.

PLEASE DO THE RESEARCH.

Brian Harris

NO, SHOW US YOUR DAMN RESERCH OR SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Abundance 4 All

Brian, it is best fo
r people to do their own research thus allowing those that do the benefit of facts. Hate to disappoint you…but your just going to have to do the work yourself.

David A. Carlson

I have a question about sodium fluoride. Does it ever leave the body? I know that many inorganic compounds, if absorbed into the body, can build up in the body. I know that this is true of heavy metals, such as arsenic. The water where I live has low doses of arsenic in it that the city says is low enough that it is not harmful, but I know it can build up in the body, so I don’t take any chances. I drink bottled water.

Abundance 4 All

Both. In reference to sodium fluoride that is ingested, a portion is eliminated via the kidneys, some is PERMANENTLY absorbed into our bones, teeth and organs. Over the course of time these excessive amounts cause damage to teeth enamel (white spots), create spurs on bone and even damage the bones and teeth by making them brittle.

This is known as Fluorosis.

Current safety standards only protect against the most obvious forms of harm: Current safety standards for fluoride are based on the premise that severe dental fluorosis and crippling skeletal fluorosis are the first adverse effects that fluoride can have on the body. These effects represent the crudest, most obvious harm caused by fluoride. In the words of American University chemistry professor, Dr. William Hirzy, it would be a “biological miracle” if fluoride did not cause other harm prior to producing these end-stage forms of toxicity. Research already shows, in fact, that fluoride can cause arthritic symptoms and bone fracture well before the onset of crippling fluorosis, and can affect many other tissues besides bone and teeth, including the brain and thyroid gland.

candor

This comment defeats the alleged purpose of your previous comment. Perhaps you were having a bad day or emotional moment, but “fuck off” is the sign that you lost your argument and have nothing valid left to say.

Phaeton420

Google Radioactive snowfall

Jon Peterson

Proud to be upvoter number 666 on this. 😛

Elizabeth

I think if the President (who I really like) said that jumping of the cliff was bad, the Republicans and bogoted and nuts would do it so they could prove the president wrong

David A. Carlson

Wow. Yes, because if a democrat points out something obvious, we republicans will disagree, no matter what. If a republican says that something is bad, would you agree or disagree? Would you base your decision on facts, or just on the idea that anything a republican says is wrong? I base my decision on what I know to be true, as do many republicans I know.

candor

You make some good points in your comments here, David. The concern is that your claim that “I base my decision on what I know to be true, as do many republicans I know.” is not what the leaders of the Republican Party do. I suggest you and the Republicans you know tell that to the leaders of your party.

GOPhater

That would be hysterical!!

Mama Kim

I wish the Obamas would endorse breathing. Just sayin’.

Platosearwax

This was just a calculated, world class troll and they took the bait. Michelle Obama wins the internet.

Matthew

OMG SHE HAS THE INTERNET?! Republicraps can’t use it anymore. No more trolls!!

Oh, one can dream.

Loraine Lawson

+1

Francesco D’Arcangeli

+1

Betty Martin Renolds

Come on Michelle…tell us about how breathing air is good for you. Love to see the right wing nuts taking their last breath.

Christi Hulett Torres

lol

Aloanstar

lol….and they would!!

William Carr

“Deep, cleansing breaths… exercise a little every day… ”

If Michelle said that, we’d have a lot of pale Conservatives struggling to breathe shallowly and refusing to walk from the couch to the refrigerator.

wrath_of_Con

We are not stupid. We know that drinking water is good for you. You know what else is good for you? Staying out of the lives of other people, not wasting tax dollars educating the public on things we already know about, and not calling conservatives idiots.
And, at the risk of sounding like a liberal, it takes one to know one.

Matt

You realize we’re still the second most obese country in the world, right? I’m certain MOST people don’t know the degree how beneficial drinking water over soda is. I don’t see how you can blame the government for trying to lower our position in world obesity.

And even if people do know it, saying that they’re going to do the opposite JUST because Michelle Obama talked about it is idiotic. There’s really no other word for it. It’s akin to a child’s tantrum.

David A. Carlson

Matt, I agree with you whole-heartedly.

Bert Slater

Child’s tantrum? Like the GOP controlled Congress? Yep…

Shelly

From what I read, the people that are opposed to this really don’t have much to do. Water is good for you no matter who delivers the message! I am trying to drink more water and teach my kids to grab a glass of water instead of sugary drinks. Why do some people turn this into something political! She is promoting something healthy and we should be glad that she is taking an interest in the health of the country. So raise your glasses of H2O and here’s to Mrs. Obama! Cheers!

wrath_of_Con

It is using tax dollars to inform the public on something so stupid as drinking more water. Idiot conservatives would be just as upset if it was Laura Bush. Well, at least this one would be.

DrCaligari

I kind of doubt that.

Matt

Public Service Announcements are FREE, you ignoramus.

medussa

How did Michelle Obama spend tax dollars making this statement? Please explain.

nightshade10

They are called PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) and they’re free. (Former Television and Radio Employee)

Carlos Danger

There is no such thing as a free public service announcement, if the president or first lady are speaking to the public it costs money. There is also no such thing as free air time. Government public service announcements are sponsored by federal government agencies or non-profit organizations and guess where they get their money from? Dont believe me? Look it up.

PauperPrincess

If the TV stations do not charge the creator of the content that is being broadcast for the air time required, it is, indeed, “free”. Maybe you’d better look up a dictionary and actually read it.

nightshade10

I put them in programming in traffic, I worked there, I know… maybe you should be the one looking it up! Better yet, get a job in radio or TV then at least you’d have some measure of knowledge on PSA’s.

Mercedes Marton

There are many different definitions for a public service announcement (PSA) or public service ad, but the simplified version of PSAs are messages in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge, with the objective of raising awareness, changing public attitudes and behavior towards a social issue.

maryinbama

I run a non-profit organization and do not get a dime from the government.

Carlos – OBVIOUSLY you have never made one. i have and they are FREE. not a dime not a dollar spent. the station gave us air time FREE – we used our own equipment but if we had not had it to the quality they needed they offered the use of theirs FREE. so what you wrote? is BULLSHIT

Damion White

There’s a difference between something having a real cost and there being an assignable value. Airtime – because of advertising revenues – can be assigned a value, but that does not mean that every bit of airtime is associated with any real cost. If I owned a network, and my network had TV production equipment on hand it’d be well within my right to provide the White House (or anyone else of my choosing) access to FREE airtime.

ReadMore

The same way that Bert & Ernie sponsored the letter ‘B’.

Bert Slater

Lets see, she is the First Lady. As such she is asked to, well speak in public. You seem to have problems with that. As for spending tax dollars, hey, black people do not have to go everywhere sitting in the back of the bus. They even give ALL the Presidents these big airplanes to fly in, and a big house to live in too. So maybe you are offended because it is called the “White House”? Get over it, there is no Greyhound One either……

Mo Henry

If Ted Cruz and the Tea Party had their way and we had 100 Jesse Helms, black people would still be sitting in the back of the bus.

Chomper Lomper Tawee

I think “wrath_of_Con” is wasting tax dollars.

princesspr

No, one is calling your intelligence into question. But, what is the point in being annoyed that someone is asking NOT telling people to drink water. Now, the problem is — it’s the The First Lady doing the asking.

However, you would be surprise the number of people who don’t know that drinking water is a benefit.

Diane McLaughlin

Did you give the “staying out of people’s lives” advice to the GOP nutwings that keep trying to butt into women’s health? Not to mention same-gender marriage.

Goober

There is nothing anywhere that states that EVERYONE has to agree with these subjects except you liberals. I don’t have to agree with them. All of you idiots don’t agree with the 2nd Amendment.

Mo Henry

If you don’t agree with the subjects why would you back the party that is promoting it? Just curious.

Angel M. Ethell

Hey that’s what I thought, but who would listen to a progressive like me? lol

Diane McLaughlin

I fully agree with the 2nd amendment as it was written – a “well-regulated militia”, not every Tom, Dick & Zimmerman.

James Purbin

Unless you go by the SCOTUS decision….but that is only when a topic is favorable to you.

Steve Skinner

The SCOTUS also said that corporations are people. Then there was Dred Scott v Sanford, Plessy v Ferguson…but I digress. It’s proof that the SCOTUS has rarely been free from political bias. The fact is, this SCOTUS, in ruling that a “well-regulated militia” includes everyone, overturned nearly two centuries of prior Court rulings on that specific matter.

James Purbin

Do you always cherry pick your decisions from SCOTUS? I bet you believe in ROE v. WADE and would fight tooth and nail to protect every protection it provides but when it comes a 2nd Amendment case it was just a political shuffle.

DrCaligari

Hear, hear!

Bert Slater

the 2nd was written so that slave hunters could cross into other states to chase escaped slaves. Slave hunters were “militia”.

Mxyzptlk_sac

They weren’t slaves… they were interns… Gah! Do you know nothing?

James Purbin

Interesting revisionist history you have going. There is not a single shred of evidence to support your claim yet you go for it anyway. Bold, brash even….you are crazy as a loon but you wear it with pride and I admire that.

MadPommie

The second amendment – “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

A WELL REGULATED MILITIA does not mean that everyone should be allowed to carry use guns – it means a group of people, volunteers, (like volunteer firemen, volunteer lifeboatmen etc) who, when necessary, will rise up and overwhelm the ‘governmental’ forces who are supporting a government intent on tyrranical/draconian government of the population.

Peoples prejudiced interpretation of this amendment ‘allows’ them (in their mind’s eye) to ALL have the ‘right’ to bear arms. Most people can not either make the right decision to use a gun or indeed actually aim and fire one. So before any NRA supporters flame me here, realise this – the constitution was written to secede from the British rule, and to set up an independent nation – nothing else… live with it.

James Purbin.

You are officially an idiot.

David A. Carlson

I agree that a well armed standing militia should not be just anybody, or any group of people that decide to call themselves a militia. Some people are pretty stupid. But I do believe that every one should have the right to own a gun for their own personal protection. The problem lies in deciding who forms the militia and who gets to join. Personally, I think it should be up to each state to decide about forming a militia and setting the standards for joining.

Goober

There is nothing anywhere that states that EVERYONE has to agree with these subjects except you liberals. I don’t have to agree with them. All of you idiots don’t agree with the 2nd Amendment.

Bert Slater

Gosh, staying out of someone’s life does not include trans-vaginal probes silly liberals. BTW Most of the GOP Party platform can be read in it’s original German text using trans-anal probes. That is where their ideas come from now.

S Debra Evans

Here Here!

DrCaligari

Where where?

Kathleen Lambert-Stroberg

Hhahahahhahaahaha…Can’t stop laughing.

Maria

HERE HERE!

DrCaligari

WHERE WHERE?

(It’s “hear, hear”.)

ConservativesDon’tThink

Well said,Diane!

Chomper Lomper Tawee

wrath_of_con/ thinks First Lady Michelle Obama is going to make it illegal not to drink water. LOL

wrath_of_Con

You do not think people have knowledge and choose to ignore it? Like you with all the scientists who say life begins at conception?

Karimonster

And don’t forget doing it all “in the name of Jesus” as if we all want to live by their religious rules. Funny, they’re terrified that the Muslims they hate so much would take a nation across the ocean into Shariah law, and that’s bad, but they want to do the same thing here under a different god.

wrath of stupid

It’s stupid conservatives’ reactions to this FREE PSA that make people think that you stupid conservatives are… stupid. And probably fat. And most definitely racist.

onewhoknows

LOL!!! Bazinga!

Bert Slater

Yep, stupid is as stupid does sir.

DJD11

Which is why you quoted a stupid movie?

Bert Slater

To catch stupid conservative jibes, DJD11. Gotcha!!!

onewhoknows

“not wasting tax dollars educating the public on things we already know about” Did you say the same about Nancy Reagan? I’m betting… “just say no”

Damion White

Good point. We don’t talk enough about the Right Wing’s penchant for magically morphing into Libertarians if their ideology isn’t the flavor of choice on a given day.

Bert Slater

Libertarians and Independents, the name for those who have no shame and will not take responsibility for their fellow Republicans. FYI, Ayn Rand was a slut….

James Purbin

Or a free thinking independent person that believes in listening to all sides before rendering a decision on a particular topic. I believe in the right for women to choose, the 2nd Amendment, the death penalty, government sponsored health care, a strong public school system where every citizen of the U.S. should be able to earn a 4 year degree without cost, supporting our troops, protecting our borders, maintaining English as a sole and primary language, staying out of the affairs of other sovereign nations. the dismantling of the Patriot Act and other government privacy violations, and questioning of the government. and gay marriage.

Damion White

And the “liberals” with the capacity to share in a forum like this are probably feeling as if you just described them to a T. The distinction between liberals – not in the pejorative sense of the word – even extreme liberalism falls outside of this definition – and any other group is a most fundamental belief that beliefs do not exist/manifest/function believably in a vacuum. In other words liberals as I think of them (and this precludes almost all politicians) do not “believe” in anything as a response to political stimuli. And they don’t cast aside individuals that share 98% of their beliefs (or even 49%) as heretics or traitors. What I’m saying is, if I ran for President, I wouldn’t have to revoke any votes of my supporters because they did not share all my beliefs or vice versa. Don’t think Palin, Bachmann, Paul I & II, or the lot of them could say the same. This in mind, let’s unpack just a few from your list:

Damion White

1. 2nd amendment – certainly made sense for the nation’s founders – nearly 2 and a half centuries ago – to decree to the king under whose threat they lived that the entire lot of them would be shooters, and it makes equally as much – if not more – sense to be conscious of the contextual differences between now and then. Still don’t think US citizens’ right to bear arms should be rescinded, it should just be considered in the context of the 21st century – where we are a fully bicoastal nation of more than 330 million.

2. The troops – who wouldn’t support the poor (literally) unfortunate souls ordered into battle – as employees of an employer comprised mostly of individuals who never have/never will experience battle. I can’t, not support the troops because they are not responsible for their orders, and the job that they do for the country can at times be the most difficult job on Earth (unless you’re working for the opposing side).

3. Protect our borders – that’s just silly. This country was founded specifically on the premise of unprotected borders. And now because the people arriving are more brown than they are white and traveling north rather than west it’s suddenly a problem. What if Native Americans had thought of the world in terms of sovereignty and border protection? Might have been a different story altogether. But never mind that even, of course we don’t want people sneaking into the country to commit crimes that cannot be traced to their identity, but more than that we don’t want anyone committing crime, period. So it’s a little more crowded and our country speaks multiple languages (as MOST do), but really what’s the big deal? You can’t go around messaging people that there is a mythical, mystifying wonderland with a brand of freedom and best-in-the world opportunity and then get mad that they show up. We built it and now they’re coming. Probably better to deal with it in a meaningful way than to try and shoot it.

Crowley

Well put. Honestly.. if we kicked out all illegal immigrants and kept them from entering.. we’d really be shooting ourselves in the foot. Because people take advantage of their unique predicament and employ them to do the jobs that Americans now feel they’re superior to. It’s pretty sad, really. In a way maybe it would be good for all parties if they weren’t here. They would conquer their violent, volatile country and we would stop over-producing food because we’d lose the lion’s share of our reapers and line workers. Then we’d have good cause to regulate food consumption and waste, and stop throwing so much of our food in the trash, or in obese bodies.

James Purbin

So, eliminate all national borders throughout the entire world you say?

Damion White

Absolutely not. Simply be thoughtful with the policies/governance applied to maintaining borders. Be cognizant of what’s motivating approach and fervor with regards to border maintenance. And don’t be hypocrites (which will likely be most difficult; as a nation we seem to be especially talented at hypocrisy).

James Purbin

Were you attempting to refer to American expansionism in the 1800’s which was preceded by Spanish, French, Russian, and English expansionism? The U.S. was never founded on the concept of unprotected borders although it later transitioned into expansionism and invariably this led to our own civil war.

Maintaining and protecting a defined border is not silly, as you say. Each sovereign state should be allowed, and indeed compelled, to establish clear lines that represent the inherent beliefs, language(s), cultural norms, educational systems, financial systems, welfare systems, transportation systems, treatises, and military obligations that best suit the needs of its people and land.

Damion White

I made no reference to 19th century expansionism. I was talking about the very act of colonizing the Americas. This was not “unclaimed” land that our forefathers arrived upon in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The self-perceived “sovereignty” of the native inhabitants could not have been accurately defined then and certainly cannot be now (as to prevent you from waxing poetic over some allusion to mainstream history books).

Furthermore the fact that you invoke a definition of “sovereignty” as a key principle in your argument proves my original point that validity is a far reach without context. While, there is a discernible context under which sovereign nations exist/interact/maintain their sovereignty today; that context did not exist – or was inverted – while colonists were forming the United States.

Maintaining a border against non-conquerers – individuals who are not engaging in military or terrorist action against the United States is – if not silly – hypocritical. Not that we don’t have the right to shoot people who want to join our society without unanimous acceptance (I guess) – it just seems fundamentally flawed beyond reason to hold this point of view. I’m not surprised when the guy who steals the deed to a home watches it burn to the ground on account of faulty wiring in the alarm system.

Land may be an entitlement, but cultural norms are not. And to that end, when I think about how often we fail miserably to “establish clear lines that represent inherent… (all those things you said) and protect…” – irrespective to external pressures – I laugh at the idea that it’s a major priority to keep our neighbors from the south from gaining access to what used to be “the American Dream.”

Are illegals/undocumented individuals a detriment? Sure, but why not simply discover them and activate them in the tax base? Criminals – no matter their place of origin are to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and these are both bridges that can be crossed when gotten to. The data does not prove unequivocally that national lines or ethnicity are solid predictors of immigrant outcomes. I can guarantee that socio-economic status and the access to resources are the primary factors that predict outcomes for immigrants (legal or otherwise).

Jenx Byron

We have to bring slut shaming into it, huh? Not digressing quickly enough for y’all?

Bert Slater

Listen to one of Ronnie’s speeches, then complain about tax dollars going for stating the obvious. And if that is not enough, remember Iran-Contra, when the President-Elect was guilty of treason, interfering with the diplomatic efforts of a sitting President and arranging to violate an arms embargo, preventing the return of our hostages?

Mo Henry

Just say No! That sounds kinda obvious.

Jim Norman

Actually, Reagan’s campaign was guilty of treason BEFORE he became the president-elect. That’s how he beat Carter in the election, by promising the Iranians arms if they held onto the hostages until after the election. One of the slimiest pieces of betrayal of the United States national interest in history, if not THE slimiest.

Bert Slater

And over 240 of his appointees were accused or prosecuted for corruption. By GOP standards that makes him the best Pres ever!!!

RayandFannie Esparza

Ronnie used to go eat at places where he got “free meals”. And then he flip flops to renounce the welfare queens .And of course the owners tipped the waiters he said. Yeh right and his kitchen cabinet for his ranch to be retired to

Bert Slater

Funny how welfare for the rich is an entitlement, as the wealthy always earned everything they have. Just like Trump, no wait, he inherited what he did not steal…

Angel M. Ethell

Oh that’s a good point! But I was being born in the Reagen era, so I don’t have any history there, lol.

Weever

Really? You aren’t stupid? It’s hard to tell.

Damion White

And Honey Boo Boo is ADORABLE!!!!

Bert Slater

Honey Boo Boo, just like Michele Bachman as a child…

Debbie Valenta

Good for you, but a lot of my fellow Americans are stupid. The article stated that there have been multiple studies showing that many Americans don’t drink enough water but instead drink decaffeinated beverages that are actually diuretics (meaning, they MAKE you dehydrated). Many people who think they’re hungry and eat, do so because often dehydration is manifested in feelings of hunger. And then they wonder why they’re overweight. Feeling peckish? Drink a glass of water and if you’re still hungry in 20 minutes, chow down.

Bert Slater

Gosh Wrath, we do need to educate Americans about the obvious. All you need to do is visit a few red states and you will see they need a lot of education. It will only get worse with GOP efforts to cut funding for education BTW. If you want more respect for Repugnant politicians, try nominating candidates that are intelligent, OK? And you might take your media darlings like Beck, Coulter and Rush and march them out to an NRA authorized target range. Time for you to realize those who speak for you are you.

DoctorButler

Yeah, you Republicans sure knew how to stay out of those gay peoples’ lives.

Richard Hayner

Did it ever occur to you, wrath of con artists, that she might be talking to young people?

PauperPrincess

So, the Presidential Fitness program, that began, I believe, under Reagan…was that a waste of tax dollars, too? How about Nancy’s “Just Say No” drug prevention program? I mean, it’s common sense, right? Those silly liberals…oh, wait…

DJD11

Presidential Fitness program was in place in the 1960’s. I was there.

DJD11

Really, can you tell me how much was spent on this?
What about the million+ dollars the GOP has WASTED each time they try to repeal the ACA. 41 TIMES!!!

Bert Slater

Wap! Take that!!!

madmomrn

I have worked 20 years in the ED (Emergency Dept) and I have seen hundreds of people who come in with various problems including kidney stones. When quizzed, the common thread was NONE of them drank water. they drank sugary pop drinks, ice tea, alcohol but NOT water. So, you are WRONG it is not common sense or knowledge!

Chacounne

So, I’m sure you said the same thing during and about Nancy Reagan’s, “Just Say No” campaign. You did, didn’t you ?

TeaPartyAssassin

If you do not want to be called an idiot then stop acting idiotic!

James

i’m sure it cost so much for the first lady to tell americans to drink water. so many tax dollars wasted!

Jesse Scotia

If a PSA from Michelle Obama is an invasion of privacy then what do you call a whole commercial break?

Heptageniid

I think most people know that becoming a Cocaine head and letting drugs take over your life is not a great thing either, or that not getting started in high school might help prevent that future later on…. but many people do… Hence the “Just Say No To Drugs” Campaign of Nancy Reagan….very much a conservative, I think you might agree. This is part of what the first lady does, is take on a cause. Ms. Obama has chosen to take on the health of our children. NO, she does not think we are stupid! But many of our children right now in our society are not making great eating and exercise choices b/c of many societal changes over the years, not just at home, but at school and socially. Instead of “say no to drugs,” her reminders for our health are to drink water, eat our veggies, and exercise. If you are doing that already, yeah for you!! It is just a reminder to incorporate it in your life. Get your panties out of a bunch, people!

geopat

And advertising doesn’t spend to pull us away from things “we already know about” and lead us toward their poison products? Thanks MO for reminding us that there are healthy natural alternatives to syrup and fake color.

MjrMissConduct

Settle down kook. Every first lady takes up a cause, hers is getting your fat lard ass kids healthy before they start sucking the government teat under the disability guise.

The fact you’re up in arms about her cause just goes to show what a narrowminded imbecile you are. You just don’t like the idea because she suggested it.

Chris H

Too late.

Chris H

Too late.

Sean Jones

you mean more “pale Conservatives struggling to breathe shallowly and refusing to walk from the couch to the refrigerator.” thats what they have Rascals for

Chomper Lomper Tawee

They don’t walk from the couch to the refrigerator. They slither.

David A. Carlson

Ya, because us right wing conservatives are to stupid to know that the human body needs oxygen.

isome

Well… yeah. lol

rach.

but yet you don’t know which “too” to use

harleyblueswoman

one can only guess how deep the ignorance goes…..actions speak louder than words….

I’m not criticizing; merely stating an observation: I believe a majority of people are very easily swayed by advertising. The biggest and probably oldest example is cigarette smoking. Decades ago, the tobacco industry, with the enthusiastic help of the advertising industry, convinced people worldwide that smoking was actually good for us. Guilt and embarrassment are two angles used heavily in advertising, but some commercials and print ads from the 1940s and 50s even featured actors portraying doctors claiming health benefits of cigarette smoking.

The next biggest example in my mind came just after the baby boom, as television was also learning to walk and radio stations began creating formatting targeted at young people: Soda. Images and music (in the form of catchy jingles that remained in our heads) reflecting young people enjoying full lives while sucking down the sugary stuff. While milk was also being pushed (although not quite as much), water was already beginning to lose favor.

And today, many sodas also contain caffeine, which increases our excretion of water (aka reduces hydration), thereby making us thirsty and, therefore, apt to drink even more.

Water is the absolute best way to maintain proper hydration. 😉

Francesco D’Arcangeli

Which is no surprise given that hydration means “proper content of water” 😀

Theo

I guess my doctor who told me that I should drink more water is just a tool of the Obamas

Christi Hulett Torres

Mine too and my parents and my dentist etc.

Matthew

Damn commies.

Francesco D’Arcangeli

There’s a guy in my country who owns a mineral water company… he claims to be fascist and racist, but that’s obviously a cover up!

Bert Slater

Obamacare, and water panels…

Chomper Lomper Tawee

It’s a conspiracy! LOL

Whogivesaratsass

The first lady is to lead by example. That’s what she is doing people. Get over yourselves!

trem jim

well , at least the writer apologized , its the least he could do . Obama and his tragic excuse for a wife simply add insult to injury again and again

Alter

Keep on trollin’

Aloanstar

No, trem….that apparently is a job suited for you and the other trail of jims.

whitecrane123

And this has to do with the health benefits of drinking water how?

Michael Brown

“And his tragic failure of a wife”? Our FLOTUS is intelligent, beautiful, accomplished, and fit…no doubt all the things that wretched cow you married (assuming any woman with a functional brain would have you) aren’t. Actually, you should try her advice to drink more water; I suggest starting by doing so in the middle of the ocean. Twit.

Chomper Lomper Tawee

trem jim’s wife is so fat, when she takes a shower, her feet don’t get wet.

William Carr

There’s a tragedy here, but it’s the sad fact that people who attack Michelle Obama can’t be helped that’s the tragedy.

If you had any sense at all, you’d follow the rule in Politics that “Family is OFF LIMITS”.

Tomorrows child

It’s statements like that right there that show your true colors.

Ken Jones

You know, for some people out there, it really doesn’t matter what the subject is, it’s the ‘messenger’ they have a problem with. Anybody who suggest simple, practical, health choices, for you and your family, can’t be a bad thing. There are third world countries that would die for a water base system like we have, and take for granted. We stared ‘buying’ water 20 years ago….nobody had any problems about it then? What Michelle is saying, is that we need to take advantage of what most of us can get for free. Water.

Some of you people are truly despicable. What is wrong with telling people to eat healthy? You are so hateful and disgusting! Go and eat your big Macs and your bacon cheeseburgers and your mountain dew. I know if a republican first lady said these things to be healthy, it would be just fine, go wallow in your hatred.

ya know that water, that’s how those librul devils will gitcha. it’s all that flow-ride they put in it, I hear it’s really a drug called soma that turns good straight white christians into big gov’mit luvin’ pansy socialist queers, that’s why their Queen is trying to getcha to drink it.

Real Muricans drink cok’cola and bud light and they like it.

Glenna Jones-Kachtik

funny!!!!

Michael Brown

LMAO!!

trem jim

u pussy clown, Obama will use u just like the rest , have bun being a bitch , and guess wut I get more pussy than u , startin wit ur mothers OUCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN BURNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Seriously???

Hysterical!!!! I know people who really talk like that…

James Ingram

I am a real american and I don’ drink cola or bud light. You are talking about the red necked ones I guess. Any time you want to argue americanism, I can accommodate you.

onewhoknows

no.. I AM A REAL (native) AMERICAN.. You came here from somewhere else..

Jossi G.

Oh yes !
lol

Hilliary

As a fellow Native American, I have to say that I have personally experienced our heightened chance of kidney stones due to dehydration, because my thirst reflex was so weak that I mistook it for hunger and could go a full day without a single glass of water without realizing it. Moral of the story, drink water. Real American or Not.

Hilliary

As a fellow Native American, I have to say that I have personally experienced our heightened chance of kidney stones due to dehydration, because my thirst reflex was so weak that I mistook it for hunger and could go a full day without a single glass of water without realizing it. Moral of the story, drink water. Real American or Not.

Bert Slater

Isn’t it ‘Mericanism James? Problem is we are locked in debates with conservatives over healthcare, history, science including evolution, climate change, women’s rights, just to name a few. Take a number, we will get back to you…

That I go by the name Auntie Warhol and my avatar is Auntie’s iconic painting of Liz Lemon eating a pop tart might be a clue 🙂

Bert Slater

If God wanted you to drink water he would have an Apostle/Capitalist bottle it and sell it to you. Oh hey, guess he has….

Spider

It’s sad to see just how many hateful people are still in this country. Even a child knows drinking water is good for you. Those who hate Obama hate him because he is a black man. At least true racist admit it. I can respect that. Those who hide behind false reasons are just cowards. The 1st lady has shown nothing but the best of examples. Why attack her? Lack of intelligence leads people to make baseless attacks because the are not smart enough to do anything else. If your voicing hateful comments and you don’t state a real reason…..I’m talking to you! 🙂

Roger

Despise Obama because he is an inept clown, unsuited for the job he has—-his color or race has nothing to do with his job performance, or my disdain for his job performance-those are my real reason’s. Tired of his ineptitude being overlooked by the left and him being given a passl simply because he is half black. When the left has no real argument they immediatly claim the right doesn’t like him because he is black. Incompetence has no color.

Glenna Jones-Kachtik

So, I take it Roger, that you thought Bush was a great intellectual & that he knew exactly what he was doing? I voted for Barak Obama. Twice. I still think he is better than any of the yahoos he was running against both times. If your real reason is that his job performance or his policies are bad – well, they are mostly some of the same policies that Bush had & if you were OK with them when Bush did them, there goes your “claim” that it is his policies. You might want to rethink your statement that it isn’t because of his color.

He has done many, many things that I don’t agree with & that I don’t give him a pass for. But, so did Bush; so did Clinton; so did Bush I & so did Reagan….

You should keep on trolling. Besides, this article was about Mrs. Obama & if you are claiming she is WHACKO for promoting water – you might be exactly what your comment paints you as.

Michael Brown

And yet you cite no proof of his so-called ineptitude; no reasons for him being unsuited for the job; no examples of his non-performance. And then you clinch your idiocy by bringing up his race. Looks like you’re the one that has no argument, Goober. Stop trying to be human, you’re a dismal failure at it.

William Carr

It’s Cult Behavior.

The Cult Members recite their Dogma; the conclusions they’ve been told to accept don’t NEED any logic, or proof.

As far as Cult Members are concerned, Dogma is inarguable.

They huddle together, whispering Dogma back and forth, reinforcing their Social Programming to hate non-cult members.

They used to wear pointy hoods. They were easier to spot THEN.

Bert Slater

Formal attire for Tea Party members is on sale at J C Penny. Percale sheets with over a 240 thread count…

icp152

I had to respond to this. Since the president has been in office my wife and my self have not gotten a cost of living raise, the price of gas and goods has increased, and to make matters worse my wife and I are both prior service military and we are govt employees and we were the first on the chopping block when the sequester happened, we were both ferloughed. I dislike this president because of his policies that have effected me personally. Period.

learningisfun

As the person below wrote, look to Congress not the President regarding your military pay increases that are absent. As for food and gas that’s everyone’s favorite… Capitalism, not the president. Time to stop blaming any congratulating te wrong branches of government.

Yolanda Acosta

icp you are blaming the prez? You must not know that the sequester was caused by the republican congress. And they are at it again. Come October they will try to shut down Government. Blame the real culprits, the republicans!

icp152

Really? Ive worked for the govt for 17 years and this is the first time ive not gotten a cost of living raise and been ferloughed. Congress or not, the president approves a cost of living raise and he didnt stop the sequester……so tell me again how this is not the presidents fault?

Alan Kelley

I’m sorry you haven’t had a pay increase. But the Budget Control Act had Congress on the job of making 450billion military and 1.2 trillion in other cuts. Congress refused to go there. They wanted only to cut little things like Sesame Street. So sequestration happened. The pres. said he would veto any attempt to stop sequestration unless Congress did what it was supposed to do in the first place and make those Budget Contol cuts. Now with sequestration, we have almost 1 trillion in military cuts, when they could have had to only cut less than half of that and you wouldn’t likely be going through this problem now.

Bert Slater

How could he stop a sequester? Please explain it to me? I think he should lock the House doors, leaving them Porta Potties without any walls, a pile of frozen pizzas, no toilet paper and soda to drink, no water. Then they can signal the results of their votes like they do for Popes. Lock ’em up for contempt.

icp152

Everything was Bushes fault when he was the president, even though he had a democratic congress. I see the double standard here.

Wrong, plenty of us booed and hissed when our Congressional representatives voted to invade Iraq and Afghanistan for no reason. We blamed Congress and the President. Unfortunately all the gun-nuts and gun-honies called us traitors for not backing the government. It’s interesting to see what happens when the shoe is on the other foot, and the other foot belongs to a black man.

icp152

For no reason? I dont know if youve heard of 9-11. We were attacked, that was a different reason for going to war, not to get involved with a civil war. And as for the hotline to my boss and all the wars going on….the president is my boss because im a govenment employee and work on a marine corp base, and I got a basic cost of living raise for every year until Obama took offfice. I dont care what color he is, I wouldnt care if he was my father, I dont like his polices. You are the one that is claiming rasicm and thats the first ive spoken about his race. Stop blaming racism and talk about the issues.

Umm… I don’t know if you watch TV, read the paper or anything but… We were attacked by a handful of terrorists, mostly Saudi, funded by Saudis, trained in Afghanistan. Special Forces took out Osama bin Laden with a handful of men and 2 helicopters.
Please explain why we pounded the major cities in Iraq and Afghanistan into rubble with over $1 billion in missiles and sent tens of thousands of troops in?
President Reagan and President Bush Sr. were instrumental in arming, training and assisting both Saddam Hussein and the Taliban to take power in their countries. Neither had anything to do with 9-11. The excuse to invade Iraq was “weapons of mass destruction”, like those supposedly being used in Syria. There never were WMDs in Iraq.
As for your pay, that is mandated by the Pentagon, who have the largest budget of any branch of government where more tax money is spent than on education, infrastructure and social services. I don’t know if you know what’s going on in the real world, but no one else is getting cost of living raises either, most are getting layoff notices. Private sector employees have seen not only a stagnation of their salaries, but an 8% drop since 2006. The President has nothing to do with your pay, talk to the guys at the Pentagon who spent $34 million on a building in Afghanistan that is unused. Or $54 billion on the Osprey, that is still grounded. Or the brand new military facility that is being built in my small town of 30,000.

icp152

Sir, please dont try to educate me on the military, I work on a Marine Corp air station and yes i am very aware of events going on in the world.
Yes President Reagan armed a group of rebels in the 80s who later became known as Al Queda, who attacked the world trade centers on 9-11, however our government is currently arming rebels in Syria, who are also groups of Al Queda. The excuse to invade Iraq was for WMD, and the fact that we dint find them wasnt because they didnt have them it was because we didnt find them. There was conclusive evidence that they did have them by the intelligence community. And as President Bush said because of the delay in invading they got rid of them, to Iran and Syria. Syria has chemical weapons now, suprise suprise.
I know times are hard for everyone now, but how is it that another war is propossed when our nations military is already scattered across 2 countrys, and for that matter why are we still in these countrys?
Btw the MV-22 Ospreys are not grounded, I see them fly everyday The government spends money on alot of stuff thats not needed but crippling our military then farming them out to fight a “whos dick is bigger” war seems kinda pointless, the young men and women in uniform are the only ones that suffer, along with the rest of America.

MJRinPA

You are wrong on this “The excuse to invade Iraq was for WMD, and the fact that we dint find
them wasnt because they didnt have them it was because we didnt find
them. There was conclusive evidence that they did have them by the
intelligence community.”
Iraq did not have WMD at that time, the intelligence was falsified and Bush, Cheny, Rice & Rumsfeld lied to the American people in order to start a “pre-emptive” war of choice in Iraq. Not only did they lie, but they pushed their agenda with scare-mongering. They should have been brought up on charges of war crimes.

icp152

I suppose you were at the meetings? i sure wasnt, and if you honestly believe a president, democrat or republican, would put our militarys lives at risk to line there own pockets, you sir, have lost touch or are in denile. Have a little faith in humanity, not everyone is out to destroy this nation and get rich. im a hard core conservative and i dont think the current prez would do that!

Bert Slater

So you are saying those no compete contracts that went to Haliburton? Billions and billions, did not benefit Cheney? And Bush putting his money in hard rock/gold mining stocks, crashing the economy didn’t benefit him when gold shot through the roof? Okay….

Bert Slater

Aluminum tubes, aluminum tubes!!!!

Bert Slater

Well someone listens to Rush at work.

Bert Slater

No WMD’s? Really?

Bert Slater

You are a government employee of 17 years and you were furloughed? Maybe not knowing punctuation overshadowed your winning attitude and lack of a sense of entitlement.

Tomorrows child

I think this is part of the GOP’s big plan…. to make it tough on all us worker ants…and then we all complain and point fingers at the man in charge and blame him….the master plan… It’s a smoke screen….can’t you see.

Damion White

Not begrudging you the frustration at lack of living wage increase and furlough. I’ve been unemployed before and (in the private sector) raises don’t exactly come with any predictable regularity. So I can completely understand how stopping annual raises and such would piss you off. But a couple questions: the living wage increase stoppage and furlough happened in what year? Seems to me that it was this year or last year according to your statements, which is remiss considering that would mean this happened 4-5 years into Obama’s presidency (not “since he came in office). Also, does furlough from the military mean you have to stay out of work awaiting the chance that you might be called back? Did the Marine Corps have no resources to help you find work in other government agencies/the private sector? I hear about 150 ads a day on Clear Channel radio stations advertising the utter awesomeness of hiring vets. There are no ads like that for auto workers, textile manufacturers, financial analysts, etc. Not saying that it’s easy or that you deserved it, but government jobs are not all that you are qualified to do and there are people who want to hire you and test this theory above most other options. And had it not been for the mismanagement of the economy at any point in history, perhaps your experience would have been markedly different. In other words, for good men and decent (or better presidents) there is a difference between policies/ideologies and politics that are unavoidable problem solving exercises.

Alan Kelley

There wasnt a democratic Congress until 2006. It was his way or the highway for 6 years.

Bert Slater

Who brought up Bush? You did. Want to see a double standard? You supported Bush….

The President doesn’t have a hotline to your boss telling him what to pay you. You want to complain about the Sequester? Talk to your Congressman.
BTW, there are a lot of other things that were going on when you weren’t getting a raise, like a war, a recession, a financial industry meltdown.

Bert Slater

And a lot of people LOST THEIR JOBS and they would have loved a furlough. Typical conservative. Me me me, not them them them. Be grateful you have a job with security.

Bert Slater

His policies you say? Gas hit over 5 a gallon before Obama took office. Boner took credit for the sequester, and it was the result of a GOP controlled House being dysfunctional. Now you and your wife are not only both ex military, but you both got furloughed? Yea, I believe that… But I will give you some GOP advise. Get a job…

Tomorrows child

Maybe you should follow up more closely on what congress is up to…your anger appears to be misdirected.

Bert Slater

They aren’t racists, they just hate having a black man for President….

William Carr

We have trolls leaping in to claim that Michelle was paid by Jeremiah Wright to be Obama’s “Beard”, that he’s gay…

And YOU claim the complaints have nothing to do with race ?

History didn’t begin in 2009, Roger. The Great Recession was caused by deregulation of the Financial Markets, causing a Crash that shook the entire WORLD.

Obama stopped the 750,000 jobs lost per month, he got us back on the rebuilding track, and people like you seem to claim the Crash could have been fixed in months instead of years.

Really. The Crash of 1929 happened two months into Hoover’s Presidency.

Harding had cut taxes on the Rich eight years earlier, kicking off the SAME pattern of Real Estate and Stock Market bubbles that we saw under G.W. Bush.

Hoover cut spending, and waited while American jobs evaporated.

It was TWO YEARS until the Banks began to collapse.

By then, Hoover had started to realize he had to ACT.

But it was FDR coming in that started the path to Prosperity.

America was so far in the hole at that point that rebuilding took over ten years !

The rush of Federal spending to get ready for WWII completed the process and we had Prosperity for thirty years afterward.

The moral of the story, Roger, is that it can take as long to repair a wrecked Economy as it took to damage it.

Eight years to damage it, eight years to fix it.

Of course, Wall Street is back; American businesses are thriving, it’s just that the profits are funneled only to the 1%.

If the Republicans hadn’t Filibustered a record 428 Bills the Democrats wanted, we’d be free and clear by now.

So take your “incompetence” charges and stick them in your G.W. Bush where they belong.

Tomorrows child

Wow! well said!!

jericho

Make sure you keep voting your inept congressman back in office, though.

15% approval rating, 80% re-election rate.

Guest

Roger, you really should read more “liberal” information, then you’d find a lot of people disappointed in quite a few of Obama’s decisions, people who voted for him, like me. Doesn’t make me think for one minute that things would have been better with someone like Ron Paul or

Bert Slater

For someone so inept he seems to be doing a pretty good job. Face it, Repubes are terrible for the economy. Why? They think lower tax rates stimulate the economy, when jobs are the key. Higher taxes also stimulate the economy, increasing funding for infrastructure or encouraging reinvestment in businesses. Most of our Fortune 500 companies are NOT OURS. The Social Democracies are pulling away from us because government control can actually make businesses healthier and more profitable.

catthecat

What has that got to do with Michelle though?

Aloanstar

Wow…judging by those comments, she should use reverse psychology on the baggers. If she told them to never drink water again, they would drown themselves.

Bert Slater

Michelle Obama wants to expose millions to di-hydro monoxide, a substance that has been proven to kill people when inhaled or they are over exposed to for a long time.

Cara_L_M

lol

Allen

Not to mention it’s the single most abundant chemical in pesticides. It’s even used in fracking! BAN DHMO NOW!

Bert Slater

Absolutely!!! People get rashes from washing their clothes in it, and when left on the ground people have been known to slip and fall. DHMO in it’s solid state is even more deadly, as it can cause your cells to stop functioning unless you are wearing special protective gear to shield your body from it.. So the GOP needs to ban di-hydro monoxide when they defund Obamacare. Michele B could sponsor this bill in Congress. Obama wants to force us to consume this deadly substance, thank God we have radiation and mercury in our fish to counteract it.

Mike Ryan

Maybe the President or First Lady should come out in favor of breathing air. The opposition would not complain long would they.

truth

flouride

ceosion

I don’t know if you’re upset about fluorinated water or in favor of it (as there are arguments on both sides). For anyone concerned about it, you can find non-fluorinated bottled water. Though I’m perfectly fine with a tap water filter (which does not remove fluoride). The source/condition of your water is up to you.

Michael Brown

Guess “truth” likes having only one tooth left in his head.

Pipercat

It’s on his head now…

John Rhoades

Damnit. Now I respect you for not falling in with the FLOURIDE BAD crowd.

William Carr

Well Water.

jericho

“fluoride”

Anthonij

No doubt about it that racism is the major factor in the level of hatred that the teabaggers and other right-wing lunatics have for the president and his wife… But I think there is something else at play that exacerbates their hatred… Both the president and the first lady are highly educated and extremely articulate people… Consequently, in the eyes of the right-wing dipsticks the Obamas fall into another category that is deeply hated in some circles in these United States — they’re intellectuals. Combine the two factors — black intellectuals — and you have a combination that really makes the know-nothing racists’ blood boil.

Two long-standing American neuroses — racism and anti-intellectualism… Sadly, it is not at all surprising that the Obamas are so hated by so many in this country.

Ive felt that way since we elected him. It didn’t matter what he said, they would be against it. I saw it from the very beginning. Im not sure what part of the country you live ion AnthoniJ but I live in the south…where intellectuals are few and far between. Its a sad state of affairs when Michelle Obama tells us the same thing our mothers told us…and they think its wrong. Sad, sad, sad.

Anthonij

kajunteddy — I live in Chicago, where there is among many a sense of pride in the fact that the first lady grew up here and that the president lived and worked here at the University of Chicago…

To my considerable dismay, however, I have heard comments from white acquaintences here, starting back with the first presidential campaign by Obama, that made it clear that some of these rightists were doubly enraged at the thought of a black man possibly becoming president and he being someone vastly more educated than they and vastly more articulate than they could ever dream of being…

The old two neuroses I mentioned above, intensified by a no-less ugly dose of jealousy… In a couple of cases, I’ve heard people imply that the president got into and graduated from Columbia and Harvard as a sort of afirmative action charity case…

The ugliness and stupidity of some people in this regard is really hard to take sometimes…

fairshake

I live in Chicago too, and my reservation during the 1st election, was the lack of experience that President Obama had. Let’s not forget the fact that Illinois politicians don’t have the best track record when it comes to honesty and integrity. (That is not leveled at Obama) I think to criticize people who DON’T vote for someone because of their race, you must also criticize people who DO vote for someone because of their race. Works both ways…

Anthonij

Nothing wrong with doubting a politician on the basis of his or her (lack of) experience… And for me, well, I like Obama a lot, though at the same time he is not quite the socialist I had hoped for! lol

Voting for someone of one’s own ethnicity is extremely common… the hope being that the politician will share one’s own experience and values and views and interests… And of course, there is often a large mismatch between what the voter wants and what the politician gives, despite shared ethnicity… One has to be smart and voting in a simple-minded, one-dimensional way is not that…

As when working-class whites vote for white republican pols whose only interest is increasing corporate profits for their friends and lining their own pockets…

fairshake

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I think both parties cater to corporate America. Have to grease the palm that got them elected. That’s the reason I voted for Ross Perot. He was established enough financially, that he wouldn’t owe nothin’ to nobody. Still don’t think race is reason enough to vote for someone. Have to vote in the candidate that is best for everyone, not the individual. This country definitely needs a credible 3rd party. And no, I am not referring to the Tea Party.

Chris H

I think we just need for our politicians to actually DO THEIR JOBS once they have been elected. Congress has done nothing. NOTHING!

Damion White

Term limits for Congress. Period.

Damion White

Term limits for Congress. Period.

Jan

Two things I notice about Obama is he is 1thoughtful and takes his time to make a decision and 2 he tries to be fair and compromise. I think”1″ takes too long for a lot of people and they get impatient and think he is not acting but he always does. And 2 is just not an option for some people. It does water down a plan but it is fair! If He were to do the opposite: 1. Rush to act and 2 Dictate his own agenda he would get crushed by the opponents and possibly many supporters. He can’t win!!! Obama keep your feet planted and continue to bear on. It will prove to be the BEST strategy in the long run!! (You are supported!)

Bert Slater

Hey Fairshake, Ross Perot? What Century? If it was the last election, you could have voted for Truman too…..

JawKnee Rouke

I’m glad someone else can admit socialism is NOT a bad thing

Anthonij

Indeed… I find this whole bullshit assumption by lots of people that socialism is somehow by definition un- or anti-American depressingly stupid…

Mercedes Marton

“he is not quite the socialist I had hoped for” they don’t let him. He is choosing his battles.

Damion White

Not sure the competitive data set is large enough to confirm the commonality of voting within racial lines. I think the gap between majority choices/voters and minority choices/voters is so wide that it’s impossible to discern if minorities vote with any particular pattern with respect to race.

I do agree – and have frequently called out – that there is something to be said for the counter-intuitive nature of so many people voting against their own economic interests. It’s almost hypocrisy (or tragedy). This – in my opinion – turns the argument implied by fairshake (that black people voted for Obama because he is black) onto its head. Where do the horde of Floridians I know, who are on some type of government assistance, that can’t stand the thought of big Government or handouts draw their line in the political sand?

Damion White

Not sure the competitive data set is large enough to confirm the commonality of voting within racial lines. I think the gap between majority choices/voters and minority choices/voters is so wide that it’s impossible to discern if minorities vote with any particular pattern with respect to race.

I do agree – and have frequently called out – that there is something to be said for the counter-intuitive nature of so many people voting against their own economic interests. It’s almost hypocrisy (or tragedy). This – in my opinion – turns the argument implied by fairshake (that black people voted for Obama because he is black) onto its head. Where do the horde of Floridians I know, who are on some type of government assistance, that can’t stand the thought of big Government or handouts draw their line in the political sand?

onewhoknows

“I live in Chicago too, and my reservation during the 1st election, was the lack of experience that President Obama had” How does one have experience as a president if they’ve never been president before? This was a talking point the teabaggers had too.. Who could be worse than Bush II?

fairshake

Political experience in general, not in regards to the presidency. He was a state senator for only 2 years at that point.

onewhoknows

lawyer=politician.. same set of rules.. Ronald Reagan was an actor.. this was never mentioned during his campaign.

Tomorrows child

I recall many people talking about that…but money talks…and Reagan had lots of friends in high places with big money I suspect, so I’m sure his election was bought.

moonkat51

Wrong. He was a state senator from 1997 to 2004 when he became a U.S. Senator.

Bert Slater

So why are there so many actors who get nominated for GOP candidacies?

Damion White

Clint Eastwood 2016!!!!!! #TheRoadTo270

Damion White

Clint Eastwood 2016!!!!!! #TheRoadTo270

onewhoknows

Still has more than Ronald Reagan..

Chris H

Romney.

Bert Slater

FYI black people have consistently been the one group to not vote along racial lines. They actually look at issues.Your claim is just boilerplate conservative claptrap.

Bert Slater

Actually there are three things, don’t forget, penis envy. They know Obama probably has one, and they do not.

Judy Kachelmeyer

Anthonij, yes indeed, you have hit the proverbial nail on it’s head. I could never quite put my finger on it (the hatred)- other than racism…but you are correct… it is a combination of the two, racism and anti-intellectualism…and black intellectualism which brings the hatred to it’s fever pitch. Thank you.

wrath_of_Con

How about that he is a liberal who wants to destroy this country? I am not being hyperbolic.

isome

No, you’re not being hyperbolic, you’re just stupid.

onewhoknows

you are confused..the only president hell bent on destroying this country was W bush.. and he succeeded.

Tomorrows child

Well…and maybe Nixon

Chris H

What a stupid and boring comment. And yes you are.

Bert Slater

He is doing a terrible job of destroying the country. You are better off screaming “birth sir-tif-e-cat”. At least that way the 7 of you left can find each other…

Dave

He’s nowhere near as liberal as we expected him to be, but he is more liberal than the neocons like, so that’s a reasonable thing for you to say. That he wants to destroy the country, THAT’S stupid.

Anthonij

Judy — You’re welcome! I think the racists out there have (to some degree at least) gotten used to seeing very successful blacks… entertainers and athletes, especially… but here’s this guy who is half-African American in the highest profile job in the world and he’s as highly educated as can be and clearly extremely intelligent… that, I think, awakens simultaneously feelings of jealousy and fear in the racist right…

David A. Carlson

Ya, because there havent ever been black republicans running for president. And no white republican would ever vote for them if they did. Oh, wait. There have been, and white people did vote for them. Of course, you will only say that those black republicans are the “token” black republicans and that any white republican who voted for them did so just to prove they arent racist, even though they are. I voted for black republicans running for the office of president before. And it had nothing to do with trying to prove Im not a racist, since the votes are private and no one knows who you vote for anyway.

epenthesis

The existence and (modest, temporary) success of a black conservative candidate for President does not prove that racism is a thing of the past in the Republican party. When ninety percent of black people won’t even consider voting for someone from your party, there’s something going on that you need to address.

Bert Slater

Which black candidates ran for President for the GOP ticket? I must have missed something…

guest

I think you put it to politely >>> They are what is referred to as “uppity Ni%%ers” and it drives them insane >>>> remember when pres O had the televised talk with American students and all the outcry over that >>> people kept their kids home and drew parallels with Hitler and the Nazi youth >>>> I never realized that this portion of the American population existed >>>> I am afraid for our future and ashamed of the behavior

Bert Slater

An’ don’ forget, they won’t sit in the back.

Darryl Gumm

Three cheers for First Lady Michelle Obama. She’s telling America what I learned over a year ago. Kicking the soda habit and replacing it with water has given me more energy and at the age of 63, I have very few aches and pains and no headaches. I applaud our First Lady for being proactive in helping Americans understand how easy and inexpensive it is to improve one aspect of our health. It’s too bad those who still fly their confederate flags and/or own stock in Pepsi and Coca Cola find cause to bash this worthwhile effort on the part of this amazing, intelligent and quite healthy First Lady.

Francesco D’Arcangeli

Indeed so.
Italians have been drinking tap water for centuries, and we had no child obesity problem. Even with ITALIAN MOMS, if you know what I mean.
Then came sodas… and junk food…

MrWereman

So… Why DOESN’T Obama just come out and support air? I think that would solve ALOT of problems with this planet.

You’re absolutely right. If President Obama told them breathing air was good for you, they all die…….hey, theres a thought!

Bert Slater

Just let O tell ’em breathing through the barrel of their gun while placed in their mouth is not very bright, and you shouldn’t tap to your fav tune on the trigger either…..Dah dah dah dum….,

John Rhoades

So… Politico asked a doctor about his medical opinion on a statement that included ” probably the single best thing we could do is to simply drink more water” and you think that his response was bizarre. Sorry, it’s not. He’s not against drinking water. He’s not taking a political stance. He’s not endorsing other things as better than water. He’s saying “To make it a major public health effort, I think I would say it’s bizarre.” and he’s right. Lack of water consumption is not the biggest threat to the health of US citizens. Your reaction to his statement is marvelously out of touch with what he said.

Michael Brown

So why don’t you tell us, O Enlightened One, why it would be a bad thing to base a major public health initiative on drinking more water? Unless, of course, you’re a major stockholder in one of these “Honey-Boo-Boo-Go-Go-Juice” conglomerates…

John Rhoades

It’s not, and I didn’t say that. I’m against getting mad or arguing at things you make up, which is exactly what you’re doing here. Don’t ask a scientist what he thinks, receive a considered and accurate response, and get mad at things he didn’t say. Use your critical faculties to respond to the words and ideas, not the feelings you created when you saw words you’re programmed to think are bad.

William Carr

Drinking water… in the Summer… is bizarre ?

As far as the biggest threats to American health, Michelle Obama had already addressed many of those already.

Pipercat

OK, how about this, Doc: Replace one caffeinated, aspartamed, highly fructosed and/or artificially flavored/colored drink with a drink consisting of water only. Any health benefits to that notion?

John Rhoades

Health benefits of one idea do not equal “the single best thing we could”. I’m referring to the fact that the doctor’s requested response was measured and accurate and lacked hyperbole, whereas the response to it acted as though he was against drinking water and had an agenda. It was a ridiculous reaction to the statement he made.

Pipercat

Perhaps, but this whole notion of Politico asking, “a doctor” is horseshit in the first place. The statement by the first lady was not controversial by any standard and all the subsequent conclusions, including mine to Dr. Goldfarb, are further road apples thrown on top for good measure. The simple fact we are even discussing this is absolutely, pathetic. I haven’t figured out what is more outrageous, this horrible statement by the First Lady or the nefarious foot on the desk scandal!

John Rhoades

Honestly, I’m not convinced there even was a controversy before this article was written. Just a couple of comments on a politically biased website. I could find more evidence of a controversy on any YouTube page.

Pipercat

Well, I originally heard about this yesterday. Just like the foot and desk affair, I knew this would become “controversial.” What’s sad, I’m seeing this shit happen before it inevitably does. Now that’s bizarre! 🙂

Jack

Disturbing new trend among Teabaggers and other Obamaphobes parent in response to Michelle Obama suggest that kids exercise and drink water. Kids are being forced to sit in a chair all day, while being fed nothing but McDonalds and Mountain Dew. A few parents have enough requested that their children do not participate in PE or recess. Sales of child size rascal scooters are going thru the roof.

Kathryn

Dear Tea people, GOOD FOR YOU! Don’t drink the water! And watch out, because the next ad will be against eating shovelfuls of straight lard daily! I am going out now to buy out all I can find to protect myself from this crazy woman and her “be healthy” campaign and I recommend each one of you do the same! Have a great, albeit short, life!

Jezzer

Looking forward to the rash of spite dehydrations.

sbusbee

Wait a minute. Does the first lady seriously have nothing better than to do and spend tax dollars on than to talk about drinking water? smh. Silly comments all around.

krazykingkush

Nah that’s not ridiculously silly. Not at all. Not one bit nope..

James Worcester

Maybe she should come out in support of breathing so the Teabillies will suffocate themselves…

Loraine Lawson

My toddler has this same problem. He wants an apple, I clean the apple, say, “No go eat your apple,” and he says, “I don’t want the apply.” The Obama’s should try reverse psychology on this crowd; they must be regressing to their terrible twos.

icp152

There is no “controversy” here, its common friggin sence to drink water, the only controversy is this writer needing something to stir up, saying right winger are stupid because one person said that its not hard science. Thats his opinion, not the entire conservative partys opinion.

Anne

Doesn’t Nestle say essentially the same thing in its commercial for its line of bottled water? How come no one has a problem with that? Ah, because it’s a corporation…and not an educated black woman. Good to know…

turdley

Wow. The writer of this garbage would rather protect Michelle Obama than listen to a scientific opinion from someone at U Penn, which was just ranked the #7 university in America. What an idiot.

jericho

There’s an idiot on here, alright.

turdley

Wow, great comeback. Typical liberal dipshit.

jericho

Keep trying, you’ll find someone who cares what you think. Or you could just try getting a sense of humor.

Or just keep making yourself look like a ridiculous a-hole. I don’t really care.

mandate

And you think that the opinion of one guy at U Penn negates the opinion of the scientific community in general? Talk about cherry picking to prove a point! And by the way I think your name fits your post!

turdley

What this comment board needs is more liberal idiots saying she should come out saying we should all be breathing. I think only 20 of you libtards posted that.

foodcourt

well we better stock up on stick up deordorizers….if they won’t drink it….they really won’t bathe in it….yea…. mo H2O for us

i pride myself on being a moderate but goodness gracious, republicans are just batsh*t crazy. it’s water. WATER!!

Mainah

What an evil plan! Drink more water so that we can become healthier instead of paying for uber expensive healthcare for self inflicted illnesses! I see it now … it’s a conspiracy which probably involves benghazi. derp.

NavyBlues05

Well, there goes the military. All those soldiers, sailors, and airmen with “Michelle Water” strapped to their backs… damn shame. /snark

Had a kid on my ship that lived off sodas. In the Florida heat it wasn’t a surprise when he was hauled to the ship’s hospital in agony. They scrawny little fella had to get knocked out to deal with the pain of several kidney stones creeping around his pipes. We gave him 5 minutes of sympathy and then rode his ass hard for having to pee through a paint sieve for days!! All of use supervisors had to “mother” his dumb ass and monitor his water intake.

metyldragon

Zombie in training.,….LOL

metyldragon

To all these protesters, whom drink the poison soda pop, now we know whom you are and you will be the first wave of ZOMBIES in the coming “Zombie Apocalypse”….. This is hilarious and yes indeed, my anti-zombie weapons will be right on the targets…….. To be forewarned is to be forearmed…….

James Greene

Well, other than the fluoride in water, there is really nothing wrong with drinking more of it. Fluoride may be great for your teeth, but not great to ingest regularly. I drink plenty of water, though, as the slow poisoning of fluoride is preferable to all the crap they put in sodas.

Mary Beerman

I’m seriously starting to think this was the equivalent of the “oxygen” theory. Mrs. Obama just changed it to water and of course, all the teabillies are falling right into line and calling it a bad thing. OK, teabillies, STOP drinking water now!

A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids
without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice.
That’s the way your hard-core Commie works.

Sue

My feeling is this: if people have trouble with Michelle Obama recommending they drink water, then I would recommend they STOP drinking it altogether. This will cause them to literally cease and desist. This country could do a lot better with idiots like this running around!

Chris Hartnek

MAYBE IF ALL THOSE RIGHT-WINGERS WOULD DRINK MORE WATER THEY COULD REVIVE THEIR LONG DEAD BRAIN CELLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN SPEAKING STUPID FOR A LONG TIME.

dr jay

Mr. Barr, I’m as progressive and pro-Obama (and pro-water!) as the next guy, but I think you (and probably also Politico, though I haven’t read their take) may be wrong to paint Dr. Goldfarb with the same brush as the teabaggers. (Or in this case perhaps we should call them “sodacanners”?) The man is in fact an expert in things like hydration and electrolytes, and if he says there’s no good science behind the specific program Mrs. Obama is pushing, there probably isn’t. Notions like “single best thing,” “real difference for your health,” are probably overstatements at best, and possibly even misleading. So Dr. Goldfarb is simply doing what a good scientist does: informing the public on the scientific merits (or lack thereof) of a proposed public policy.

Now if she had said (or maybe she did say and was quoted out of context) that drinking water *instead of soda* will make a real difference for your health, then I don’t think Dr. Goldfarb would have had a problem. Wouldn’t have had any effect on the sodacanners, of course.

John Rhoades

Thank you! Nothing bothers me more than people lambasting sensible, rational statements because they perceive that any criticism is an assault on everything they hold sacred. The author imagined a reasoned, requested response into a controversial politicized statement, and then got all pissed about the pretend stance the guy wasn’t actually taking.

Drolyt

Finally, it took forever to scroll through all these comments to find a reasonable pro-science post. Thank you.

Lesly Weiner

the only thing i find contoversial is the fact that all the fracking now going on is going to render our water supply toxic and undrinkable – the reaction from the haters is mind boggling. Lets pair “drink more water” with “protect our water supply” All good!!

abaldwin360

Michelle Obama should make a PSA about not walking in the middle of the freeway.

Silvio Renzulli

Drinking water is healthy and anyone with common sense knows that. And no I am not a fan of the president.

theoldsheepherder

Everybody knows that water is the national beverage of Kenya!

Pipercat

Now, if they only had any…

krmujn

I think she did this just to see if there would be a contravery over it. Just proves the point that people can’t get over having a black family in the WH
.Bigots.

Actually drinking water is very important, in hot climates in particular. You really need to toss down a big glass when you get up, before breakfast. It’s not very nice, but you’ll feel a lot better later in the day. It’s a proven practice in hot climates like SC. The water hits an empty digestive tract and goes right into the body. It increases circulation and prepares the body to digest breakfast.

Rosie, PhD

One of Weight Watchers suggestions is that people drink more water before meals so that they feel satisfied with less.

Claregirl

Everybody knows she’s just trying to drown us all.

morn1960

maybe if the Obamas endorsed sex between males and females the rethugs would stop having it and not reproduce, we have enough stupid people on the planet as it is

What’s sad is that she didn’t emphasize that it shouldn’t be BOTTLED water.

The Far right is so determined not to participate in any sort of changes to society that they are going to be left standing in confusion as the rest of the world shifts from a system based upon authority, force and resource control to a system based upon cooperation, consensus and abundant resources.

Perhaps we can get Ms. Obama to recommend eating right, avoiding alcohol, tobacco and arsenic in the water, exercise and proper hygiene…

Seldom do you see entire large groups so determined to avoid anything endorsed by their political opponents regardless of it’s merits.

The world is rapidly changing, and my gut instinct says that the traditional conservative Christians concept of the apocalypse is going to disappoint them horribly as they are left clinging to obsolete social and political structures and the rest of society moves on towards what they might otherwise consider THEIR rewards of heaven on Earth. (E.G. longer, healthier, happier, less stressful and more joyful life.

Where do you suppose such folk stand if there is a god and all that is desired is that they live happily and productively…?

Guest

This is just a bunch of super right wing racists. There will always be extremists no matter who is prez. Nothing to be done about it. Just let em eat McDonald’s till they die.

mcquestion5000

Republicans would rather be told to drink oil.

Byron C Mayes

That first Daily Caller comment was bait. That the nutjobs took it and ran is the real news.

Or not so much.

Byron C Mayes

That first Daily Caller comment was bait. That the nutjobs took it and ran is the real news.

Or not so much.

E.Tate

all people that have made what Mrs. Obama said about drinking a glass of water a day you should go to my Primary Care Doctor who tells me to drink six 8 ozs. of water a day………there are so many more important things going on in this world number one is racism which is being displayed in these negative comments about Mrs. Obama suggesting, drinking ONE glass of water a day is healthy. By the way my Primary Care Doctor is white…

DoubleDogDiogenes

Its why the Tea Party is simply an organization of hate and ignorance. What base? Conservatives are building in a swamp with no foundation!

Nevada

You want me to drink water? Like out of the toilet? I’ll stick with Brawndo. It’s got electrolytes.

eilish99

IF only the RWnutjobs in Texas would allow their outrage over this advice to rule them, maybe we’d have a solution to the drought.

David A. Carlson

I am a white conservative republican, and I am sitting here reading this while drinking water. What she says about water does not sway me in one way or the other. Everyone who is saying that republicans will stop drinking water because Michelle Obama says water is good for you is being ignorant. Its simply that we republicans already know this and she is saying something that is not only common knowledge but also common sense as if it is her idea and she is somehow spreading her vast wealth of knowledge and wisdom to the world by telling us what we already know.

Squishy

Wow… ‘Merica is messed up… so glad i’m not part of your insane society.. WTF is wrong with you people?

harleyblueswoman

the ignorance of some people never cease to amaze me…..

Miztahfrawg

>Michelle Obama endorses water
>Right wing conservatives boycott water
>More water for left wing liberal families
>Republicans everywhere become dehydrated
>Democrats watch in an amazed stupor as republicans brag about being hospitalized and hooked to an IV due to “Sticking it to the man”
>Democrats nod and smile, as they drink a big ol’ bottle of Dasani.
>Republicans dehydrate and turn into sand
>Democrats use this sand to make glass
>Use glass to make cutlery
>Use glasses made of republicans to drink more water
I think I see where michelle is going with this.

Rani Bakr

It’s depressing how unsurprised I am at this. :/

Luigi Novi

**Thomas Barr: “No, Dr. Goldfarb, the only thing I find “bizarre” is your apparent urge to find something horribly wrong with Mrs. Obama telling Americans that water is good for them. Oh my God, recommending that people drink water? Oh my, how bizarre and unseemly! What was she thinking?!”**

He didn’t say there was anything “horribly wrong” with telling people to drink water, or that it was “controversial”. He merely said that there is no scientific data to support this. Can you falsify this? If so, why not just do so? Why rely on the silly ad hominem attack?

**Thomas Barr: “Apparently some people would rather have millions of Honey Boo Boos running around hopped up on “Go Go Juice” all day.”**

Non sequitur. Saying that there is no scientific data to support the idea that people need to drink more water is not same thing as saying that they should be drinking caffeinated sugar water. This is just a Straw Man argument. Whether people are not drinking enough water lies within matters of fact, and is therefore a falsifiable claim, as its the counterclaim. These ideas are either true/well-reasoned/empirically supported, or they are not. If you can invalidate these ideas empirically, then do so. But engaging in rhetoric like this doesn’t do so.

As someone who voted for Clinton (twice), Gore, Kerry and Obama (twice), the point about irrational hatred of the Obamas is well-taken, and the message board thread excerpt above is a good example of it. But Goldfarb’s comment is not.

Peter Justice

as long as she is not MAKING us drink more water, who cares what she is blathering about.

if we did not try and keep everybody up, we would not feel the need to micro manage their lives – you moonbats are about “health” like the wingnuts are about “morals”.

Carolyn Lezotte Cassada

From the amounts of pop I see people buying when I go to the grocery store, it seems that people do NOT know that it is bad for them, and water is very important in a diet. Richard Simmons said he lost 20 pound just giving up DIET pop.

Draco Morrison

Its not about the water, its about being black. Michelle Obama just made drinking water not cool– once again inadvertently making children everywhere obese. This bitch just lost my vote for 2018

(liberal logic against them)

barb1

Hopefully the haters will do exactly the opposite of what the First Lady recommends. The sooner they give up water the better for the country!

henry

What a commie ! Whoever heard of drinking water ? Isn’t that what Lenin drank ?

henry

It’s not that they don’t believe in drinking water; it’s just that they a) don’t believe in health, and b) don’t believe in anything that’s free. Because in both instances, it’s not supporting the billionaires that put them in office

Karen Teegarden

The hate for this President and his family is so deep that they are cheering Putin over America. And they are the “Patriots”?

Time for Dr. Goldfarb to review his notes from medical school…this week my Urologist told me that I must drink more water to combat dehydration, fatigue and kidney problems….

samanthemofthesun

Jeepers. Pretty bad all right… Good lord. And those response comments? Michelle is in a gay marriage because Rev. Wright paid her OFF?? What are these people ON? Oh, perhaps they need to drink more water…. 😛

Here’s a doctorate study thesis for you: “How Electing the First Black President and Putting it in the Context of a Post-Racial America Immediately Ushered in a Post-Post Racial America Where Racism is Not Exactly Taboo and Rebranded for the 21st Century – This is Racism 2.0”

Shaitans Muse

They want you to drink more of the flouridated, mercury containing, chlorine infused, fecal flora form ‘enhanced’ ~goodness~!!

Gilberto Urroz

Really? If Obama would come out in favor of oxygen, the Repubs will suffocate themselves? Mr. President: PLEASE, come out in favor of oxygen! PLEASE!

Akira Bear

Republicans are outraged about this because whoever heard of drinking plain water? Theirs always has gin in it.

Goober

If the First Lady suggests that drinking water is healthy for us, she is only repeating what health gurus have been saying since the beginning of time. Why does anyone need to react at all to such a benign statement?? Oh I know why,,,,,they have to make an issue when anyone they do not agree with says ANYTHING. That only makes them stupid and mindless because they have nothing of any importance to say about anything else.

Goober

If the First Lady suggests that drinking water is healthy for us, she is only repeating what health gurus have been saying since the beginning of time. Why does anyone need to react at all to such a benign statement?? Oh I know why,,,,,they have to make an issue when anyone they do not agree with says ANYTHING. That only makes them stupid and mindless because they have nothing of any importance to say about anything else.

Michael Paolucci

” this just in, Michelle Obama has just advised that mixing bleach with ammonia is good for your complextion, she advises that you should do so in closed, poorly ventilated area, more on this story as it develops…” Dear god, please let the right wing pickup this story!

Boo Hoo

I get your humor…I do. But, getting people killed is not an option, for me. No matter how stupid they behave or how much misinformation they spread.

Lisa

yeah, ok, great. Drinking water is good for people. I think Ms. Obama should focus more on her behavior, spending millions and millions, if not more, of tax payer money for her vacations. Those people are ridiculous even if occasionally they say something that actually makes sense, like “drink more water.”

standbehindtheyellowline

You need to spend more time on the facts and less in front of the Fox entertainment players.

Nathan Buchanan

Maybe she should come out in favor of being outside on the Internet and breathing. Then maybe all the right wing nut jobs would sit home, stay off the Internet and suffocate themselves.

JustMe… Problem?

Lol,… America a hate filled country—> always have been and looks like it will always will be from the beginning to the end. Smh, God bless the USA!

BackSeatJesus

First time I’ve heard about the Obama’ being in a “gay marriage”.

Bert Slater

Must be a mix up. Conservatives always confuse Gay and Happy. Possibly because they are only happy when they are Gay?

Luann Chandler

Our country has reached a new low. This beautiful, intelligent woman says to drink water and some idiot , so called, scientist has to refute that. God help us. I’m feel certain this stupid person will something to say about that as well. How sad this all is.

termlimits60

Please just don’t generalize so much about republicans. I am not one but it seems that the media and society in general wants us all to be in categories. You are a democrat, a republican, a this a that. Frankly drinking water is common sense. If Michelle wants to push it so be it. People will do what they want anyway.

Carlos Danger

SO the real questions is how much did this stupid pointless common sense public service announcement cost us american citizens? Republicans are stupid for making a big deal out of it and liberals need their checkbook taken away.

Realist

Any person that is against drinking water should not drink water at all, what so ever. Gives the people of America a fighting chance with erasing stupidity and dumbass from its divers pool.

Some people who are posting are obviously fucking dumb ass retards. and no im not insulting retarded people even they have fucking sense.

What will they complain about next?

Eating food?

Reason why americans are laughed at now because of stupid shit like this.

first lady says drink water. dumbasses say no.
first lady says breath air, dumbasses say noooo
first lady says the sun is made of gases, dumbasses say nooooo
first lady says what we poop is food that has been broken down and nutrients has been absorb and the body no longer needs it, dumbasses say noooo thats GumDrops

Where’s my damn shot of tequila? There should be an IQ challenge before people can comment on shit.

Bert Slater

New GOP faction, Breathairians. All nutrition readily available in the air, no need for food.

Leela

Oh my Lady, raise your cup in attempt to remind people about the importance of staying fluid. Even some of us who love the idea of being healthy need reminders…I bow to you my Dear First Lady!

S Debra Evans

The Old White Guard just hates everything about a black person in charge. The racism is so blatant that I am embarrassed by it.

billball

Why in the hell would you buy something that’s basically free?

Charles Vincent

^ What he said.

billball

I know it wasn’t specifically mentioned in the article but it seemed relevant.

susani

1. Conservatives,etc. will limit their intake of water to spite Michelle Obama.
2. Not drinking sufficient water can reduce energy and shorten life.
3. Hmmm…. Do I see a possible bright side to this reaction?

dopper0189

Obama should endorse the Tea Party, would that cause a rip in the space/time continuom? #JustSaying

PauperPrincess

Oh…the ignorance…it burns so…

roe

Ah, I see why Dr. Goldfarb doesn’t ascribe to drinking more water. It would contradict an article he wrote in 2000 for the American Journal of Medical Sciences entitled “The urine/plasma electrolyte ratio: a predictive guide to water restriction”. Given that he is an internist who specializes in Renal Electrolytes (Kidneys) and Hypertension (high blood pressure), BOTH of which restricts fluid intake and indeed requires diuretics to prevent water retention, I wouldn’t have made him my first choice to go to for a reaction.

Shaking my Head

The people in this country just want something, anything to be pissed of about. What a waste of time. . . Being angry and pissed off about drinking water. Oh Good Grief!!!!!

mre2000

Just because none of you conservatives has said it yet…
Benghazi

Paul Stefano

Perhaps we should market the water with a gun call it H2ndAmmendmentO. Maybe then the GOP would just shut the fuck up.

David Cole

I’m going 2 drink a couple of bottles right now

hankusmc

Man! I know that President Obama will have a heck-of-a-book to write when his terms are over, but Michelle? Well, She is also going to have a lot of things to talk about as well. Neither one can say a whole lot right now (while the President is still in office), but oh boy! Just wait until they get to really write about their eight years in the White House! Barack and Michelle? Two “Best Sellers”! I’ll get both of them!

William Mundell

As Stewie said, “I don’t actually hate the human race, I’d just be happier if there was a whole lot less of them.”

Booger Red

Ya’ll give a woodpecker a head ache ………..you people are all about as useless as tits on a boar hog …..can’t believe I have even wasted my time reading all your “nana-nana-poo-poo” bull . you SOB’s need to get out more and try some sunshine , maybe even some of this da## water and try mixing it with a little Black Jack . …………….I still say ” ignorance , incompetence , and lack of all common sense is running ramped in America today . “

L. E. Hadden

Michelle Obama…I have an idea for next campaign (some may have said it already) but, here we go….AMERICA, the air is bad for you starting right now everyong STOP BREATHING!!!!
That should rid the earth of all the IDIOTS!!!

Guest

Michelle needs to also say drinking gasoline should be illegal.

mymren

Probably the soda and energy drink companies throwing a fit…

teachernow

If she is so concerned with children eating healthier she needs to change the way the food program is presented. Half the food gets thrown away because the children do not like it but have to take it because it is part of the food program. Drinking more water is important but part of the reason children are overweight is eating out too much and no balanced meals at home and school. At least if the government program was more balanced children would get 1 or 2 balanced meals per day. The food program is archaic & forces children to take food & waste what they don’t want. They cannot take packaged food home in case someone will eat it there. So tons of food that goes to waste! Work on that Mrs. Obama.

Margon49

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry! What a dilemma!

If I share this piece then I am spreading the insanity.
If I don’t share it then I am missing an opportunity to expose the fruitcakes for what they are!

Orangecasey

Deep seeded*. Good editorial though.

MrsWindy01

The last two words of your article said it all! “Grow up”! The people who are making such fools of themselves acting outraged over the fact our First Lady suggested they drink more water to stay healthy simply prove how immature they are! How sad for them! 🙁

B-Wicked Darky Ness

Our water is poisoned though. Nearly have to drink Reverse Osmosis water and add healthy minerals to it externally in order to have healthy water to drink. If you add any type of fluoride additive to the public water, you’ve just added about 30 other unmentioned toxins, not to mention fluoride is the same effective ingredient in rat poison.

We get most of our fluoride additives from China, though a small portion comes from the phosphate fertilizer plant in Florida. Because it’s illegal and highly toxic to the environment to allow the fluorides from the production process escape out the air stack vents, they are now required to filter it. They use a recycled water system that pumps the same water into a sprayer system and the water spray captures the fluoride elements any anything else that may happen to become air born. It gets recycled in the system until the water soup gets to a certain consistency, then it’s pumped into trucks who then dump it directly into your water system.

Ever wonder why your water is so crunchy? Thanks America!

I’m going to go enjoy a nice cold glass of tap poison and go back to becoming the obedient, docile, ignorant, disabled, broke American that our government wants me to be.

Independant

K, I disagree with a lot of things the Obama’s do, but the controversy over WATER!?! Come on.
I’ll admit that the thoughts have crossed my mind “if the Obama’s say to drink water, they’ve probably added more fluoride or some other poison” and “this is pretty hypocritical coming from the wife of the guy who passed the Monsanto Protection Act”. But the message itself is spot on. Almost no one drinks enough water, myself included. And it is the single simplest thing one can do to improve health, get more energy, and feel better.

So yeah, it’s hypocritical, and they’ve probably poisoned it. Buy a new filter and move on. There are far bigger things we need to focus our attention on.

concerned in Arlington, Texas

Maybe this will start more discussions about getting people in underdeveloped countries drinking water. that would help a lot.

EffTheTeaBaggers

I really, really hope she comes out against playing on the freeway soon.

PauperPrincess

They’re running out of straws to grab.

Andrew Wyatt Courtney

I have to say, those comments… Wow. I certainly haven’t heard the “Obama is gay” one before. lol

magoo3x3

OMG, it’s water we are talking about, this whole dialogue is like something out of a Mel Brooks satire….Every doctor I have been to, my husband as well, Primary, Cardiologists, Surgeons, Oncologists, etc…have stated that drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day is good health sense…who ever this Dr. Stanley Goldfarb is must be getting paid off or has gotten his degree at the Donald Duck University.

jjdoe

Just as I always suspected – Michelle is a drinker! (haha)
Odd how the country didn’t mind Cheney’s national fitness program – marching thousands off to wars of no importance..

Lorene

Listen, I am a dyed in the wool liberal and I still think her water deal is stupid. Just cause I voted for him doesn’t mean I am married to all the stupid things their PR people think it’s a good idea for them to do. Yeah, 9/11 is not a good time to put on a fake smile and talk to the American public about how great water is for you-I can’t help but think how they could have used a little of that on the 100th. floor 12 years ago. Obama is nothing but a figurehead anyway, just like all our presidents. Who the hell knows who the last real one was.

Gabriel Cuddy

She’s simply starting an initiative to get Americans to drink more water… and people are taking it to that exteme? What is so wrong with people that can’t be told to change anything about their lives to HELP them! -_-

Lorene

It’s a matter of timing, Gabrel, wrong date for the message.

standbehindtheyellowline

Oh PLEASE!!! If she would have come out with it on her birthday, those same haters would have had the responses.

pandapal

My personal trainer closes each of our sessions with a reminder to 1. drink water 2. drink more water 3. drink lots of water and oh yeah, eat protein. There must be a valid reason that he would ask me to do these very simple, non-outrageous things.

Lorene

Besides, people are sick to death of being treated like children, everyone on the planet knows water is good for them, so the knee jerk reaction to her perky water deal is: “Duh!”

Lorene

Yes, Pandapal, if that is your real name, but your personal trainer is not the First Lady.

Randeman

I like the part where it said if Obama came out in favor of oxygen, Republicans would suffocate themselves. If only…if only.

singingchick

I think America knows that drinking water is healthy. We should be worried about the financial condition of our country rather than the lame stories about better health…..not important

karen_green

What is it called when a policy Republicans were in favor of stop favoring it when President Obama supports it? Blacktracking. This is courtesy of Bill Maher.

Pooua

Actually, several scientists have been pointing out for years–long before Obama’s first term–that the claims that Americans don’t drink enough water have no scientific basis.

collinsfriend

Well haters will ALWAYS find something to hate no matter how irrational.

Dee J.

I am waiting on the Obamas to endorse AIR. Then maybe the haters will hold their breath long enough to make a difference.

Just Wondering

The TeaPuglicons/Taliban have much in common they just need someone to tell them that it Obama’s/America’s fault,,,,, so sad

Hannah in Oz

As an Aussie who is thoroughly depressed with the piss poor condition of her own country’s government, I’d like to thank America for it’s consistently entertaining political theatre. This shit is HILARIOUS!! And the comments!!… “stay out of our lives!” “stop telling us what is good for us!”

*wipes tears of laughter*

thank you thank you thank you 😀
(As a side note, are the people saying “stop telling us what’s good for us!” the same people complaining that they have to buy 2 plane tickets coz they take up 2 seats with their 400lb arses?… just wondering)

Steve B

The ones who are offended by the water thing are the same ones who hate the Obamas for their skin, not their character. They say the same shit every time.

6rav3

Mandrake, have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?

Lorene

Whatever, standbehindtheyellowline, if that is your real name, I’m sick of the whole thing. Turn off your tv, it will save you.

Lorene

Which is not a bad idea for everyone here-turn off the tube. That shit seeps in, whether you agree with the shit they’re pumping into your mind or not, they’re still pumping it, and you’re still soaking it in.

Michael Wagner

I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist
indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist
conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

Lorene

Cool, can’t wait to hear what you’re going to do about it.

Lorene

Just remember, before I go forever, whatever you see, hear, watch, etc, your mind takes as reality-proven fact. Respiratory reactions are the same as if you were the one running from a gun/tiger/mother in-law. Wear and tear on your body and your psyche is planned and produced by those who want your money and don’t care if you live or die, whichever’s more profitable for them. Have a nice day and don’t turn on that shit box-its poison.

sciurrus

Is a conservative. Doesn’t have a problem with this. Also understands that rationale free thinking adults can disagree.

bobobob

well i live in europe and here it’s completely normal to drink water every day, so i was kind of surprised at this article. Over here, drinking soft drinks is not standard, drinking water is.

MadameDelphi

Oh I’ve heard the gay Obama lover in Pakistan stuff before, they post the same dreck over & over. And they believe it. Sad to be them but hopefully they are not a majority.

USMC9298

This is what happens when you dismantle your mental health system and expect it to result in a net cost savings. These lunatics are dragging the whole country down because they want to make sure everyone lives in their particular perfect fantasy world. Narcissism, paranoia, personality disorders, and neurosis run rampant among Republicans, you can see it everyday in the actions of people like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Michelle Bachmann…I used to think they were just con men, but I have come tot the sad realization that these people are just insane.

Chomper Lomper Tawee

I don’t trust tap water.

alshakat

I drink lots of water! I stopped drinking soda……. and NOW I don’t wake up sick every morning! Not sure why anyone has a problem with this, but if you’re “hating” because it’s an Obama request, that’s okay…….. Don’t drink water and stay sick and out of shape……. the sooner you get sick and go away, the better!

Dickhead

The biggest problem with the drink water campaign is the commercial is paid for by the American people. So fuck the drink more water campaign. And no I don’t like the Obama’s. NEVER DID!!!!

wial

Obama should come out in favor of oxygen.

Jim Howland

I want the Obamas, the whole family, to do a PSA filmed in the White House:

Michelle:Household cleaners are a hidden danger in most American homes.

For those who “don’t need” Michelle Obama telling them to drink water, move, or whatever else she and politicians can come up with, there really are plenty of Americans who don’t know these basic things that can improve their health and their lives in general. That’s why well-known people do it. If you are one who does “not need” that particular lesson, then don’t read it. And, don’t complain about it. The world is not going to step aside for you.

jeb

great jezebel in red what would my grandpappy say if he knew I was taken orders from a darkie; hell no I won’t drink the water

anniepajamie

The controversial thing about the subject of drinking more water should be the fact that many in Big Business (or being paid off by them) say that clean drinking water is NOT A HUMAN RIGHT!
THAT is what should be being paid attention to.

Barney Agor

Okay cut the politico junk and let’s do the scientific! Fluoride is listed as a “pesticide!” Isn’t that the stuff mandated into all municipal drinking water throughout the U.S.? To wit, if you can find a glass of water that isn’t going to poison you, she’s got a point! I guess you think GMO foods are okay if queen Obama says we should eat more vegetables?!

al_literate

I didn’t see any “outrage” I saw one guy say it is not hard science, and a bunch of internet comments. Reaching, really reaching. But then that’s what I would expect from an Obamadrone.

Rei

There’s fucking fluoride in the water! You ever think that the reason why people get outraged is because most of our supplies have been poisoned with the shit! So Michelle Obama is promoting us to poison ourselves gee I wonder why people are getting upset. Finally the tides are turning.

Annah Marie Taylor

you’re insane. If you’re so concerned about fluoride then buy a 50 cent gallon of filtered water.

Jeez, I swear people are getting dumber by the decade. “Idiocracy” here we come!

Korteztk

The First Lady should come out against suicide.

Don’t Force Me

I am now waiting for this to become a law. There soon will be no other beverages, but water. people may only drink water and so they have mandated others are illegal. Why not… it soon will be that we are fined for not being able to afford to go to a doctor. I thought the Magna Carta took away the power of the ‘king” seems to be no different. The USA dictator needs to stop forcing the people.

Phaeton420

“drinking water should not be controversial”

Go to Amazon and type in “fluoride” under the books section. There are at least two 4.7 and 4.8 star books regarding the truth about Fluoride. So why is that controversial? Because we have highly fluoridated water and one of the leading nations of cancer. There is a correlation. Drinking tap water is controversial.

Also, you can tell you wrote your own bio. “Works tirelessly online.” That’s either an uphappy wife or a douche with an ego problem. Either way, you’re progressive, so you’re wrong.

But trust me on the Fluoridated water supply. It’s been proven to the point dentists are fearful of losing their accreditation if they speak out about the dangers of fluoride.

As for me and anyone with a vested interest in preserving health, drink distilled water and it costs less than buck for a gallon.

Mephisto

we are not only foolish, but contentious. It is not just the First Lady’s comments but just about anything said or proposed by ANYONE. This sort of thing has become the verbal equivalent of “Stand Your Ground”.

April Parr

I hope the day comes that she tells everyone there’s no air in space so we can watch a those hate-filled blabbermouths book a flight to the moon, take off their helmets, and try to take in a big breath.

Karen Hayes

working as an RN in this country for many years I have noticed there are a lot of people who suffer illneses (physical and mental) related to simply not drinking eough water. If you tell them that..a lot of them just blow you off. They want a doctor to prescribe a pill so that their bodies will continue to function, albeit poorly, while they continue to put CRAP in it.

jb

“It’s tainted with Obama praise! ” Tainted with fluoride.

Les Paul Marshall

They’re having fun, with the assholes. These people have disrespected the first family to the most sickening degree. Lies, hatred,
So now the Obama’s are fucking with them. She did that on purpose, to see who yell “waters bad” and the crazy chickens are coming home to roost.
Barry really fucked with them, I’m going attack, you can’t attack. I’m not going to attack, you must attack you pussy! We’ve found be peaceful solution, Putin made Obama his bitch. There’s your GOP update for the past 5 years.

Les Paul Marshall

Frank said something like ,”Politics is the entertainment division of the war machine”

My brain is hurting now. There really is no hope for some people in this country. I guess FLOTUS should use reverse psychology. Tell everyone to eat fried, high caloric foods and everyone will be healthy.

I think people are really stupid today for not paying attention to public service announcements and lack awareness that EVERY YEAR new humans are being born and need to invest a long time in learning and development. It’s those bad conservative parents that don’t and very poor folk that can’t teach fundamental basics of human evolution and biology to their kids and would rather put their trust into corporations to NOT POISON their children….THIS why these public service announcements are made. They are not paid for by corporations who do NOT have your best interest at heart. These announcements are paid by YOUR money – by the public. Plus EVERY 10-15 years we have to deal with a new youth generation that seems less educated on basic science, physics and math and general understanding of ecology and bio systems. These announcements are supposed to remind you that you ARE a biological entity that has evolved and lived on the earth for millions of years ONLY drinking water. What makes anyone think that a full glass of soda or a full glass of juice (without it’s natural pulp) is good for you? You mean suddenly in the past 100 years since soda was invented..it’s suddenly good for you ingesting in large quantities?

patb2009

Maybe the President can urge more americans to wash their hands after using the bathroom, A nice little saturday address, encouraging people to use plenty of soap and scrub hard. Watch the response.

Jonni

But u guys drink MILK. Corporate America says do it and u jump threw circus hoops. When the first lady says it u chastise her. CLOSET RACISTS I SWEAR

Jessie Bright

It amazes me that this crap even makes news! There were 1.5 Million Bikers in D.C. and barely a mention if any on the news. The “Million Muslim march” had a whopping 50 people show up for the Mosque they want built at ground zero. That didn’t get much attention either. Have journalists lost all reasoning when it comes to “News worthiness”??? There is SO much more going on in the world. But THIS is what they choose? I don’t give a crap about your party or their party! I DO Care about what is really going on! Of course its good to drink water, anyone who disagrees Please feel free to go three straight days with out it! Common sense is is growing less and less common everyday!

Joseph Crow Riley

Of course it is an issue. Republicans and Tea Baggers no longer believe that clean water is a right, and that it should be sold. Therefore, the First Lady is interfering with business unless she is endorsing a brand of bottled water.

Abundance 4 All

Interesting…our drinking water contains Fluoride. Hit ler added Fluoride to the drinking water given to prisoners held in the encampments as a means of “dumbing them down” and for ease of control. At a minimum it is a highly toxic chemical which cost is to expensive to dump and has nothing to do with the prevention of tooth decay. Fluoride is not only added to toothpaste with the warning not to swallow, it is found in our drinking water, used to prepare our foods and beverages. So drink up America…we need you dumber still!

Do your own research on Fluoride.

queentait

That sentence above, “If Barack Obama came out in favor of oxygen, Republicans would suffocate themselves.” is so true of our politicians today. No matter what either the President or the First Lady say, it’s going to be Wrong and an OUTRAGE. My God, people, GET A LIFE!

Justin

The statement from the University of Pennsylvania kidney specialist seems pretty mild and mellow in contrast to the hysterical tone of the paragraphs following it.

Maggie Henry

Absolutely embarrassed to be an American. The right’s treatment of our first family is appalling!

Maggie Henry

Absolutely embarrassed to be an American. The right’s treatment of our first family is appalling!

Gail

I
think the controversy is over the Sodium Fluoride and chemical waste
they are putting in our drinking water, that they have established is a
nerve agent is causing the controversy. If they quit poisoning our water, so it does not destroy our health, then there would not be problem.

Gail

I
think the controversy is over the Sodium Fluoride and chemical waste
they are putting in our drinking water, that they have established is a
nerve agent is causing the controversy. If they quit poisoning our water, so it does not destroy our health, then there would not be problem.

Patrick Nance

As I have stated many times, if the President walked on water, the GOP and it’s ilk would scream “Barack Obama can’t swim…”

MDC

The stupidity of it’s people will be the undoing of America.

pantheon

…get real folks, give the lady a break. I am sure that most Americans don’t typically drink enough water during the day but sodas and other beverages instead. I consider it a wise reminder to all. Alert, alert, this isn’t a political plot, strategy or controversial issue.

Abundance 4 All

Michelle is out and about telling everyone who will listen how they need to consume more Sodium Fluoride by way of drinking more water. This while her husband is pushing to arm the Syrian rebels…who by the way are being lead by a cannibal who cuts and eats the heart & liver of their enemy.

How does any of this make sense to Americans, regardless of political preferences?

Opie Bigay

What is the fu-king big deal ? Drink the water if you want to don’t if you don’t want to. I been telling my children and grandchildren for year to leave the soda alone and drink water.

pixella_deville

Every doctor I go to (and there are a lot) reccommend drinking good quantities of water. Our body is mostly water, which must be replaced. Our skin needs water. Our colon needs lots of water, as do other internal organs. I’m more concerned with the people who put their names on landfills full of water bottles. Go to your sink. Get a purifier if you must. But “pure” bottled water is 1) a lot of hype, and 2) a lie. You have no idea where that water comes from or what is in or out of it. My water comes from Lake Michigan. I can see it (not from my house, lol!). But refrigerated tap water is the best way to go, in my humble opinion.

Actually, the quality of tap water varies greatly from one locale to another. Unfortunately we do not have strict enough quality control for water. The amount of impurities allowed along with the addition of chlorine to tap water (as a disinfectant) is not only toxic to bacteria and other microorganisms but your body as well. Just ask anyone who does farming or especially anyone who works with marine (fresh or even sea water) life. Small changes in particulates can have devastating effects on entire animal populations. You, I, our pets and plants are no different. We just manage to limp along a little better than others. A purifier is a good idea for sure. To be safe. And I can agree that not all bottled water is quality water.

Drolyt

As crazy as the republican response is, you shouldn’t dismiss Dr. Goldfarb so quickly. The fact is there is very little evidence drinking more water is all that good for you. Now, if we assume that water is replacing sugary drinks that is another thing, but I’m disturbed by your dismissal of actual science in favor of your feelings. It is no different than the global warming deniers or creationists.

Tanmayo

Much as I admire this as good sense and encouragement I also sadly notice the I have grown increasingly sceptical and wonder what which water company is supporting this push or whether I will discover Mrs President has shares in water rights or suddenly is seen sporting a particular brand. In my more optimistic moments I imagine that this is a purely virtuous act. Simple and supportive. …Ahhh…Or maybe the next step would be to stand for water being a right of the people… currently water is becoming yet another commodity that in time all people will not be able to afford….

Alisha Rushing

Progressives should get this better than anyone. You don’t want me in your womb, and I don’t want you at my dinner table, or in my stomach. It’s that simple. While my food choices DO NOT TAKE A LIFE…YOUR WOMB CHOICES DO.

patricia spinazzola

Fine, then stop drinking water, shrivel up, and die. Sick of the assholes anyway, so maybe if they give up H2O, we’ll be rid of them a lot more quickly.

anasmom1

Let’s put Pepsi and Coke out of business.

tjsmema

There are really a bunch of morons on here…………………Good Night!!!

Mark Zellmer

Perhaps Michelle should tell us that the single thing that we can do to ensure our longevity is to not put a loaded pistol to our heads and pull the trigger.

Mary Sue

Why is this an issue? Seems to me, ppl are just looking for any kind of dumb ass reason to get pissy about the Obamas. PPl been saying drink water your whole damn lives. I’m sure it started with your parents. All she said is ppl should drink more water, you’d be healthier. That’s not a reason to start bringing up other issues you got gripes about that have not one damn thing to do with someone suggesting water as a healthy alternative beverage to pop or alcohol, etc.

Geez, really,ppl? Really?

Dana Bermudez

People don’t care that the water request came from the Obamas as the author of this lame article implies. People are upset at the level of control and intrusion that the government now possesses. If Mrs. Obama wants me to drink fluoridated tap water, she can kiss my ass. I will not become a zombie from fluoride poisoning! But I agree with the comment writers that the government needs to stop telling people how to live their lives. If someone wants to follow a path to self destruction, then that’s their choice which is what freedom is all about. However, if a company is making a product that is dangerous, then the authorities need to stop it before it goes to market, not continue to offer it as a choice and then tell people not to use it because it’s bad! Case in point: cigarettes. Everyone knows they kill, but they continue to offer them as a choice and then they tell the people that use them that they are bad and will be punished for smoking them. So why make them in the first place? Stop controlling us government! And stop the bad manufacturers BEFORE they get people to use their products!

Geneva Chapman

The benefits of drinking water have been documented. So, die of thirst then, idiots!

Pssssssssssssssssst, Michelle! Tell them that fast food is nutritious and that fresh vegetables and fruit are too expensive and that they’ll be better off eating food from cans and fruit cups full of high-fructose corn syrup.

Oh, and tell them human beings can survive on a diet of Ramen Noodles and Diet Coke! Go ahead!

Watch people start planting gardens and gorging themselves with fresh fruit and veggies to prove you wrong, turning Burger King into Broccili King and KFC into Kale, Fruit, and Chia seeds while Wendy’s extends its salad offerings and McDonald’s turns into a coffee shop franchise, serving beverages and no more fake food.

Think about it. You could end obesity just by supporting it and finally put an end to those pathetic “Walmart People” videos.

Andy

How freekin’ brain dead do you have to be to make an issue out of the First lady saying drink more water to improve your health? We have been told that for YEARS !!! LOL !!!

maggie33

Maybe there will be fewer of the “nutters” if they do quit drinking water. I’m all for that.

mahjong

I think you’re reading a little too much into the doctor’s statement. It wasn’t so much an unfounded attack as it was a statement that the “drink lots of water” isn’t exactly a well-based claim.

Adequate hydration is important, but drinking 9 glasses of water a day is superfluous. We need about 3 liters of water daily but that water can come from our food sources and, yes, soda pop.

So he wasn’t really “finding something horribly wrong” with her approach, just saying it’s a little bizarre to be putting effort behind a strange claim that isn’t completely based in science.

Maritimer1

Hey, if the Repugs stop drinking water…that’s all the more for the rest of us!!

sbd

If, as is quoted in this article, Barack Obama came out in favor of oxygen, Republicans would suffocate themselves, I’d like to suggest that he proceed with doing that.

pamfoland

Please tell them that oxygen is good for you…..please, please….ha ha!

Kris Hughes

What a stupid article, Thomas Barr! I’m on the left with you, buddy, but why don’t you use your writing skills to do something useful, rather than this kind of petty whining. Wasting a corner of cyberspace moaning about people on the right being silly makes you just as silly.

benghazi

#Benghazi

myra

This whole thing is ridiculous. We all know that water is good for us- that sodas and sugary drinks are bad. Michelle Obama is trying to make our children healthier with better eating habits and exercise. She is not ordering people to do it. She is putting the information out there. Unfortunately some people are either too stupid- or too partisan to respect what she is saying. A sad comment on what’s going on today—

Daddycool67

So the first lady mentions it … and immediately part of the media labels it a “major public health effort”.

There’s our problem folks.
We don’t have very many actual journalists in this country anymore.
What we have are employees of controversy organizations.
Why? Because controversy is entertaining. And entertainment gets ratings which means someone can sell stuff there because people are listening.

As far as real journalism and real news??
Yeah/no. That doesn’t sell stuff.
So nobody has any real use for it.

Chris Punches

I guess this author doesn’t know that our water /is/ poisoned. Drink Deer Park bottled water for a year and tell me how you feel. One word: Smarter. Your tapwater is making you stupid. You didn’t think water was just H^20 did you? We add all kinds of shit to it. And I’m not even an Alex Jones supporter, I think the guy’s a lying, profiteering asshat.

dylan

Those bashing this must be paid off by the soft drink and energy drink lobbyists. Soft drinks will dehydrate you. Water will not.

Tee4678

Well, if these idiots are gonna stop drinking water because Michelle Obama said it’s a good thing, then they’ll drop dead sooner, doing us all a favor!

Jgudelsi

well as an independant I have to laugh at the lot of you. i am way to the middle of most of the commenters here, so i am laughing at both ends. yes, water is good for you. no one should have a problem with someone saying that,
but as a reaction to the right wing reaction against drinking water, or rather against being told to drink water, the conversation goes quickly from water to slavery and rape and abortion. So lets free associate. I say water, you say….RAPE KIT! I say drink more, you say SLAVERY! see what Im saying you are all ridiculous.

Idiot

the Movie Idiocracy predicted this. Soon they will be using gatorade to water plants

Derek Pryor

Unbelievable bunch of morons…attacking the First Lady over a damn glass of water???

candor

Hate is irrational. Usually destructive. And blind to reality. Hate is the voice of fear. Fear is usually ignorance. Often generalization. And counter-productive to peace and happiness. Anyone who wants to mean anything worthwhile and admirable in in this world overcomes fear and opposes hate.

History shows us that followers of hate and fear are sad and shameful footnotes of dark days in human culture. No one wants to remember people who, blinded by hate, supported leaders who destroyed their own countries.

Ask yourself if your leader is taking you toward war or away from war. Toward laws that take away your rights or away from those laws. Toward a government that is for the people – good for the majority of people – or against the good of the majority of the people. Then choose your leader.

If you find yourself hating, ask yourself why you want to be self-destructive and ineffective. And if you find yourself knee-jerk reacting to anything like Pavlov’s dogs, please realize that you have a thinking problem and you are not in control of your own mind.

sophia

The error that you made, dear author, was simply to read the message boards. I have found that it takes about 1-3 comments before the “conversation” of ANY on-line article degrades into name calling, misunderstanding, defensiveness and sarcasm. Even on this thread… I try to stop with the article, which is often interesting and well-thought out, if not one sided. But sometimes I venture into the comment section and it always, without fail, ruins my mood. There are crazy people everywhere. Who cares what they have to say? Let the people who want to drink the good water drink it.

essmeier

Perhaps, instead, the First Lady should be encouraging us all to smoke more cigarettes.

WellhungHippie

So all the President and Mrs. Obama has to do to insure a Democratic landslide in the 2014 election is to endorse and stump for the GOP/Teabagger party so the right-wingers will all vote the opposite.

padraige

I’m not gonna drink no water if some darkey tells me to do it. Why, that would be like we’re THEIR slaves now! There, I’ve just captured the teabagger mindset in two short sentences even a teabagger could read (with help).

Louis3

What is interesting is how Politico scurried about trying to find someone to make a comment so they could set the narrative. And people buy into this kind of narrative baiting by believing that it’s a real issue being debated.

Frankie Lynn Staton

Just saw a story about childhood obesity DROPPING ! Kids saying I CHOOSE to drink water, or milk, NOT soft drinks, because it’s better for me !!! I know that it really hurts you to credit this woman for ANYTHING positive, but for her to encourage us all to drink water is just more of her health platform…….If you don’t want to drink water…….Then DON’t !!!!! Be dehydrated ……But DON’T trash the First Lady for trying to encourage us all to be healthier !!!! Remember the old saying: 8
Glasses a DAY !!!!! Let me get started !!!! Thank you, Mrs. Obama , for caring for the health of the people of your nation !!!!

TommyT

Yes, DRINK DOWN THAT FLUORIDE!

Anderson

I swear, the Tea Party must be filled with Meth-heads.

doughartyc

We can only hope that the president does come out in favor of oxygen……

Honest Abe

WOW… I see lots of stupid peeps with even more stupid comments! The First Lady is totally correct we as Americans do need to drink more water for a better health. However, it will not help the stupid blind peeps with better thinking…..

Granny gardner

Sad all the haters are addicted to sodas. They are freaking over the thought they might have to go to a recovery program….
Or how about when people like me with a well and a huge reserve tank of water is in excellent health and has plenty of H2O when you soda addicts are having the shakes…..

ThisCountryIsDead

Let those who have nothing but hateful things to say ignore good advice. The sooner they die from their bad health and ignorance, the sooner we get rid of more of the wastes of space breathing our precious oxygen and poisoning this planet with their existence. People are so stupid.

Mr_Gentoo

Maybe we should use this to our benefit. All Michelle Obama has to do is go on TV and discuss how much she hates the Affordable Care Act. Republicans will jump over each other trying to talk about how great it is.

Bambam

You do all understand that the left wing, and the right wing, are attached to the same vulture correct? I love how Americans get caught up in the illusion of choice. You bow your head to the banks. They call all of the shots. Oh and they also own all of your media outlets including CNN, fox, hbo, time, etc, Etc, etc, and all of your nuclear power plants, oh, and also apple AND Microsoft. They also own the corporations responsible for producing nuclear weapons, drones, missiles, tanks, aircraft carriers, such as Boeing Defence, Northrop Grumman….. Google the vanguard group…. They trick you by splitting the shares into multiple companies, but you will see the word vanguard 3-10 times under their primary shareholders list. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep looking.

Terence Clark

So profound. I’ve certainly never heard that before. And I’m sure you have just the party to replace them, right? One with no issues, that’s true to its mission and not beholden to anyone, right? You know all the other parties and independent candidates suffer the same issues, right? People are flawed, party aside. Your viewpoint isn’t unique, profound, or even new. Most of us have heard it many times before and for those who regularly read political blogs, we’ve probably heard it several times today. The one who is deluded is you, imagining there is an alternative that isn’t equally flawed.

Terence Clark

I could honestly care less if Michelle Obama is making the claim or my mother or the guy at the pharmacy. The doctor in the article is 100% correct on this one. Perhaps it’s not bizarre, and I do question his use of that loaded term, but there is zero scientific basis for the idea that water is a miracle drug we are all desperately short on.

The whole thing stems from a study over half a century ago that came up with the infamous “8 glasses” finding. A. it was half a century ago. B. The study was abundantly clear that the recommendation included water content from any beverage as well as all of the food we eat which, depending on the food, can be as much as 90% water. It was also clear that most people got plenty of water without special efforts at water consumption.

And the caffeine diuretic thing? Almost completely silly. Yes, it’s a very mild diuretic. So mild, in fact, that its effects are almost negligible on dehydration (A finding also backed by research. Current research.), and are negated in those who drink caffeine regularly whose systems adjust to it, and cancel it out entirely, within a few days. Alcohol, on the other hand, has a much more profound dehydrating effect and, while it actually does count toward the “8 glasses” number, it cancels out and can even overcome it’s own water component. That, at least, isn’t a myth.

No study since that original one has backed up the 8 glasses story, and, to reiterate, neither did the original study.

Now should we cut down on caffeine, sugary drinks, etc? Absolutely. And water is an excellent substitute. There’s certainly nothing WRONG with drinking water (unless you drink way too much, but water toxicity is really only a factor when consuming absurd quantities of it). But we are not in a national dehydration crisis. Not even close. And our need to cut down on chemical rich, high sugar drinks has much more to do with the negative effects of those things than the positive effects of water. Water is necessary, but not magical.

And water CAN fill you up and trim down on cravings for more calorie dense things, which is inarguably good if you are overweight or obese. But let me be clear, so is any other beverage. Water itself isn’t any better at it than diet soda or the various flavored waters out there. But diet soda may not be the best for you, either. Again, it’s the potential negative effects of other beverages, not the uniquely positive effects of water that are the case here.

Michelle is absolutely right. Water is good for you. The controversy is the healthcare myth of it being the only beverage that can deliver those benefits.

Terence Clark

Brian, the “everything dehydrates us except water” and “you need x glasses of water per day” memes have been running around for over half a century, even among doctors. But no STUDY supports that claim. Your article isn’t a study, nor does it reference one. It’s a few doctors’ opinions sprinkled among the usual media reporting of the story. Now I trust doctors, but I trust a scientifically controlled study over a single doctor’s opinion. And this is simply not supported by actual medical research on the topic. Water is not bad for you. In fact, it’s very beneficial, but we are neither in a massive dehydration crisis nor is water the magic cure-all for all that ails us, nor are most beverages dehydrating (again with the notable exception of alcohol). You can find hundreds of doctors who’ll tell you that and likely thousands of web articles, but I’d be willing to bet you won’t find one published article to support it. I’d like to see it if you did, because I can’t.

gary

Yes ,Obama should come out and say we need oxygen!!!

tygr500

If Jesus Christ himself came from heaven and shook hands with the president and spoke to him. Then he went out and fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, counseled the mentally ill, gave shelter to those who were homeless, Jesus would be indicted as fake in the minds of the T-Publicans because he spoke to the president.

Keir Heath

My problem is that Mrs. Obama is off limits when it comes to her husband’s campaigns, but once he’s elected she is allowed to take the national airwaves to promulgate her ideas. I accept her position, but she is in a position to influence others simply on the basis of her husband’s position, which is nepotism and should not be supported within a republic.

You_Never_Know

Do you even know the meaning of the words you use?……

SO don’t listen to her, and don’t drink no damn water either…. I’m sure you resented N.Reagan with her ‘just say no’ thing; and resisted getting literate (and it shows..) when L.Bush encouraged you to learn to read….

Brian

I’m sorry, promulgating her ideas? I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Secondly, how is drinking water and eating healthier “her ideas”? The whole world, and every medical professional, and every nutritionist in it has been telling Americans to do that for years now.
She’s not “influencing others”. She’s recommending that you don’t live your life like a disgusting blob of grease. And people are freaking out over it.
Nepotism? Again, I don’t think that word means what you think you think it means. The media loves Michelle Obama and voluntarily give her a platform. Just as they do for every presidential family. How is that nepotistic? Nepotism implies that Michelle Obama is getting special favours, that the president is ordering the media to all pay attention to her or suffer. The hell is wrong with you?

Guy_in_Kingston

Why would anyone listen to thunder thighs the wonder horse?

Big C

To all the crazy repukelicans,did you know Mrs. Obama recommends that you not eat doggy poop also,..so,.bon appetite.!

Thirsty and MAD

I’d drink more water… IF THE DADGUMIT GOVERNMENT WOULD STOP PUTTING FLUORIDE AND OTHER CHEMICALS IN IT!! I BET THE OBAMAS AREN’T DRINK A COCKTAIL OF CHEMICALS THAT COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS DEADLY.

Brian

Then don’t drink tap water. America is one of the only countries in the world with drinkable tap water, even among developed nations. The chemicals in it make it drinkable, and there’s no hard science to prove it’s unsafe.
If you don’t feel good drinking it, get a water cooler and order bottled water like the rest of the world does.

Steve Withers

I’m still wondering why these people are so completely crazy. I know a couple personally. Absolutely lovely people…..until you start talking about anything political…at which point they turn into Fox News relay stations….and they REALLY believe that stuff.

I blame it on religion. Once you’ve unhooked someone’s core belief system from verifiable reality they are open to pretty much anything from whoever they see as a credible source. Correct or incorrect just doesn’t matter because, to them, “evidence” isn’t connected in any way to what they are WILLING to believe.

Blocar

OMG Americans are idiots. Plain fucking idiots

JS

Wow, these right wings republicons are fullof hate and racism, and they claim to be Christian, what a big lie, they are everything, but Christian or have love for their neighbour, liar hypocrites

jude arsenault

if the water is fluoridated then it is poison.get a clue.

James Hayes-Bohanan

I’m worried that the 2 percent craziest haters are getting so much attention. I saw one gathering of of a few dozen Klansmen in the three or so decades of my pre-internet lifetime. This was a bit smaller than their real proportion in society, and rightly so.

But with anonymous comments forums online, these racist fools have become like a bad accident that the other 98 percent of us seem unable to avoid watching.

mercy

ooh geez, Aren’t there more important issues to be worrying about right about now ….

Christina McDonald

Know what I’m going to say it. I hope that they suggest that everyone pollute the world and see if they try to clean it up so they can avoid being like them 🙂

gayguyfindingthisfunny:D

So, what I’m getting at, is, Obama should tell everyone that oxygen is the most important, vital subsistence in the universe to get the republicans out of office ^_^ (oh please lord), and also, Jesus turned water into wine, republicans turned water into……. homophobia and bigotry? And aside from that, let them drink nothing but energy drinks so they will have to go to the hospital and be covered by Obama-Care. It’s also sad that people in other countries will hear “Honey Boo Boo” and their first thought is, Murica.

Ray

Why don’t people just admit that they are racist and the only objection that they have to our first lady is that she is black.

Kelly Marie Ray

There must be a relationship between drinking water and gun control. Idiots.

katherine norton malek

Jiminy – how did advocating drinking more water & less sugary drinks evolve into arguments over pro-choice v. pro-life, rape kits used in ERs, Koch Bro. history, slaves as indentured servants yada yada yada. Is it at all possible for ppl to keep their comments on-topic?! Michelle Obama just tried to get a simple “make healthier choices” message to Americans & their children when obesity is a growing health crisis among adults & children. It’s quite evident -and fortified here, that certain ppl will vehemently disagree with anything & everything Pres. & Mrs. Obama say – regardless of how wrong, petty, nit-picking or downright ignorant they come across while doing so. GROW the hell up, really. It’s tiring how ppl just want to bash Obamas for bashings sake. Doesn’t need to make sense or contain an ounce of fact. Obama-bashing is out-of-control & ignorant based. Your skin won’t turn black & your voter registration won’t change from Rep., TP, Libertarian to Dem. or Ind. if you simply agree with her message – that more water & less sugary drinks is better for anyone.

Wish they (The Obama’s) would warn everyone how dangerous it is to put the muzzle in your mouth and pull the trigger! And come out against it. Maybe we could have some earlier elections!

thomasbone63

For the assholes who do not see the importance of drinking water, then don’t drink it and just die.

Angel Rivera

I think that the reason the right gets so worked up is because they need the rage to keep themselves on message. Its what the people providing the money want, a weak government that does not get in its business. The people hurt is the price of doing business. Conservatism on its self is not so much a problem as the current fringe that refuses to give an inch in negotiations. A conservative who is negotiating in good faith but driving a hard bargain is better than the current crop of republicans that refuse to even bargain. The constitution is in itself is the compromising by several opposite factions with very different agendas.

Erin

Can we PLEASE get the president (or Michelle) to literally come out and say “Oxygen is good!” so these idiots will stop breathing?

estfar

The country is full of cyber bullies, ignorant ranters, haters, racist and bigots. All pretty much fall in the same category – STUPID. She is not forcing anyone to change their routine. She is simply promoting healthier avenues. For those “Honey Boo Boos” and “Duckers” let them continue to eat road kill and continue drinking all the moonshine and caffeine they want. For them Cancer, Heart Disease and all those other illnesses await. Happy trails to you.

Eddie Krebbs

Like the joke: If Obama came out in support of Oxygen……

But there may be a deeper (although still in tinfoil hat zone) explanation. Nestle has already made statements about people having to buy water. USA industries have been found dirtying our water (Freedom Industries, Duke Power are two recent high-profile stories) – so putting attention on clean water is anti-industry, anti-American.

Heaven Northrop

Dear President and First Lady will you please come out and say that oxygen is good for you!! At this rate we could clear out most of the idiots in this country overnight!!

Scott Cornett

Michelle Obama states drinking water is good. GOP is SHOCKED and OUTRAGED! Fox news starts 24 hour emergency coverage about the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO). Rush Limbaugh is on record that Nazi’s drank water and Glen Beck has a diagram linking this to BENGHAZI!!! Impeachment proceedings are discussed in the House.

wrb

come out for republicans breathing air

Elizabeth Baughman

POLITICO contacted Dr. Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania, who told them, “There really isn’t data to support this.” Seriously? Can we revoke this man’s Ph.D.? What a fucking asshole.

Brian

Can you blame them? Every single Nazi soldier in WW2 had a canteen full of water! All the guards at the concentration camps? Drank water. And Al Qaeda terrorists have reserves of water in their camps! Clearly the drink of villains!